New Zealand Cricket announced on Friday that Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and star seamer Kyle Jamieson have been withdrawn from the three-match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh.
Although initially included in the original squad, Kane Williamson will undergo additional rehabilitation after knee surgery last April. Similarly, Kyle Jamieson, nursing a hamstring injury, has also been ruled out for the upcoming three-match T20 series against Bangladesh.
For the upcoming three T20 games against Bangladesh, opener Rachin Ravindra and seamer Jacob Duffy will step in to replace Kane Williamson and Kyle Jamieson. Mitchell Santner will be seen in the role of captain for the Black Caps. The series is set to commence on December 27.
Head coach Gary Stead stated that the decision to withdraw Kane Williamson and Kyle Jamieson from the T20 series against Bangladesh was based on medical advice, considering the upcoming Test series against South Africa and Australia in early 2024. For their recovery and fitness for the longer format, the management opted to rest them for the T20 series.
“We want both Kane and Kyle to be in the best possible place leading into the next block of Test cricket,” Stead said in a statement.
“Based on discussions with the medical staff, it was decided a period of rehabilitation and conditioning was the best option for both.”
Updated New Zealand T20 squad:
Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
