A 14-member squad has been named by New Zealand Cricket for the upcoming home Test series against England which will consist of two matches. The roster includes star pacer Kyle Jamieson, who was sidelined in June 2022 while playing against England due to a back injury. This strong team will be led by Tim Southee, who recently captained the Kiwis in Test matches for the first time against Pakistan.
The first game will be a pink-ball day-night Test which will be played from February 16 to February 20 at Tauranga’s Bay Oval. The second Test will be played from February 24 to February 28 at Cello Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Last month, Jamieson returned from his back injury and played four domestic games for Auckland in the Super Smash and The Ford Trophy to regain his match fitness. Due to Trent Boult’s continued absence, Jamieson has taken 72 wickets from just 16 Test matches at an astounding average of 19.45.
The BlackCaps have named four other specialists for pacers alongside Jamieson, with Southee leading the attack with Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, and Blair Tickner. Gary Stead, the head coach of New Zealand, stated that Jamieson is fit for the Tests and will play in the practice match as well.
While talking about the Jamieson coach Gary Stead said, “Kyle is a very determined character with a strong desire to play international cricket for New Zealand. Since he was forced from the field in Nottingham he’s been very clear that he wants to get his body right to return. He’s reported good progress since his return to professional cricket with Auckland and he will get the opportunity to play some long-form cricket as part of the New Zealand XI Squad to face England in their warm-up match next week at Seddon Park.”
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New Zealand Test squad: Tim Southee (c), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.