Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson return for West Indies T20Is
Kyle Jamieson and Ish Sodhi have been recalled to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies, starting on Wednesday (November 5) at Eden Park in Auckland. Jamieson returns from a side strain that sidelined him during the ODI series against England, while Sodhi comes back into the T20 setup after playing against Australia in early October.
"Kyle has been back bowling this week and is tracking nicely for this series," head coach Rob Walter said. "Ish is our most capped T20I player and it's always great to be able to add his skills, energy and experience to the group."
Nathan Smith, the uncapped Wellington all-rounder, has also been included in the 14-man squad. Smith was part of the squads that played Sri Lanka at home assume away last year.
"Nathan's made an imposing start to his international career in the Test and ODI formats and we back him to do the job if he gets his T20 chance in this series," Walter said.
Matt Henry meanwhile, is unavailable for the T20Is after missing the last two ODIs against England with a calf strain. NZC has stated that he will undergo a pre-planned conditioning block to ensure he is ready for the ODIs and Tests that follow the T20I series.
"Matt has played every game for the BlackCaps since the tour of Zimbabwe in July - so it's the right moment for him to have a short break and the fact he will also get some time to rehab his calf is another upside."
Besides Henry, the likes of Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Glenn Phillips (groin) and Ben Sears (hamstring) were not picked due to injuries.
The five-match series will be New Zealand's final T20I assignment before Walter names his preliminary squad for the ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next February-March. This will also be New Zealand's first T20I assignment in the post-Kane Williamson era, as he announced his retirement from the format. Walter doffed his hat to the batting stalwart.
"His contribution to the team in this format has been immense, both in terms of his runs and leadership. To have captained the T20 side in 75 of his 93 games gives an indication of his influence and service to the side," Walter said.
After the five T20Is, the teams will play three ODIs and three Tests.
New Zealand squad for West Indies T20Is: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi.
