Key players return as New Zealand announces T20I squad against Pakistan

• New Zealand announced its T20I squad against Pakistan.
• Henry returns from a hamstring injury.
• William will not play the third match.

With the smooth recovery of Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson from their respective ailments, as well as the return of Devon Conway and Kane Williamson from periods of rest, New Zealand has chosen a full-strength squad for the five-match T20I series against Pakistan at home. Rachin Ravindra, an all-around player, took a break after traveling since August of last year.

After hurting his right hamstring during the World Cup match in Pune against South Africa, Henry missed two months of action. He will play his first competitive game for Canterbury on January 5 in a Super Smash T20 match against Central Districts. The following week, he will travel to Auckland to join the New Zealand team of 13.

Ferguson, who sustained an Achilles injury during the World Cup, has been included for the last three Twenty20 Internationals, despite Henry being selected for all five. Before joining the New Zealand team, Ferguson will play three Super Smash games for Auckland over the course of the next two weeks. Ben Sears, a fast bowler, is part of this T20I squad for the first two games.

Williamson will miss the third Twenty20 international against Pakistan as he continues to monitor his knee ailment. He was rested for the Bangladesh ODIs and T20Is. If not, he will reclaim the captaincy for the remaining four games. Josh Clarkson, an uncapped batter from Central Districts, has been called up as a cover for the third Twenty20 International, while Mitchell Santner will serve as the captain.

“It’s great to be welcoming back Matt, Devon, Lockie and Kane,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “They’re four quality players in their own right and their skills and experience will bolster our side. With just three T20I series left before the T20 World Cup, all matches are vitally important for our preparation.”

Stead gave an explanation for Ravindra’s relaxation, citing his five-month tour of five different nations. After finishing the World Cup as the fourth-highest run scorer, Ravindra was acquired by CSK for INR 1.8 crore (about US$ 216,000) at the IPL auction.

“Rachin’s a young player who has immense value to New Zealand Cricket and we therefore want to look after his wellbeing,” Stead said. “He’s the only player or staff member to have been touring non-stop for the past five months across five countries and that’s simply not sustainable. He’s still very much part of our thinking for the T20 World Cup in June and will come back into the reckoning for the T20 series against Australia in February.”

The remainder of the team is comparable to the one that drew last week’s Twenty20 International Series against Bangladesh. Due to their ongoing recovery from injuries, Kyle Jamieson and Michael Bracewell were not taken into consideration. Trent Boult and James Neesham were unable to play because to international T20 obligations.

Auckland will host the first of the five Twenty20 Internationals on January 12 and the remaining three on January 14, 17, 19, and 21.

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