NZ vs BAN | Finn Allen earns maiden call-up; Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson return
On Tuesday, New Zealand announced their 13-man squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh, including new names such as Finn Allen and Will Young. On the other hand, the squad also sees a return of New Zealandâs pace duo of Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson under skipper Tim Southee.
Ahead of what would be a crucial series for the youngsters, New Zealand announced their squad to take on Bangladesh in the T20I series, including the youngster Finn Allen, who is all set to make his debut. The talented youngster first spotted for Auckland, now plies his trade for Wellington Firebirds in the Super Smash would finally make his name in the squad, after narrowly missing out in the Australia series.Â
On the other hand, the squad misses notable names such Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, and Tim Seifert, who are all bound to play the Indian Premier League, with the management giving them rest. Meanwhile, the pace duo of Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson returns to the squad, after various injury issues halting them in the past.Â
"It's especially an exciting time for Finn, who will be getting his first taste of the Black Caps environment," selector Gavin Larsen said. "His Super Smash campaign with the Firebirds was nothing short of outstanding and we believe he has the skills to succeed at the next level.
"We're delighted to see Lockie and Adam return after working really hard to get back to this point. They are two of the premier fast bowlers in world cricket and it's fantastic to be able to call on their services, in what is shaping as a big year of T20 cricket.
On the other hand, Devon Conway, who made his mark in the recent series win over Australia would assume the wicketkeeper duties during the series, in the absence of regular keeper Tim Seifert.Â
"We're also very aware of the need to give others opportunities in a World Cup year and it's great to be able to introduce Finn and Will to the set-up, as well as welcome back Lockie and Adam. Devon's wicketkeeping skills are a real asset to have in a squad and we're keen to ensure he has some international experience in this role to provide us with another option going forward."
"The six guys who will miss this series are incumbents in our T20 side and the decision to give them some time at home with family before they embark on a long stint in India, was principally made with their welfare in mind.
Squad: Tim Southee (capt), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Will Young