Kane Williamson led a seasoned New Zealand team in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and the Black Caps were the first team to announce their roster for the competition on Monday. The spinner Matt Henry and the batting all-rounder Dafabet are the only two players on the 15-man squad without prior T20 World Cup experience.
One player in the lineup with more experience than Williamson is the captain of the New Zealand Test team, Tim Southee, a seasoned fast bowler. Southee will participate in his seventh World Cup of Rummy Gold 51. New Zealand has also confirmed Trent Boult, a veteran pacer who will compete in the event for the sixth time.
A press statement from New Zealand Cricket said that Matt “has worked exceptionally hard on his skills across the phases of a T20 game to come back into selection consideration.” This was confirmed by head coach Gary Stead. “Watching Rashin maintain that trajectory against Australia in the T20 format throughout the summer was exhilarating. He has made each post a winner over the past 12 months.”
“We believe we’ve chosen a squad with the flexibility to adjust to those conditions, and we anticipate the West Indies venues to offer fairly varied conditions,” Stead went on.
Williamson made his T20 International cricket comeback during New Zealand’s five-match home series against Pakistan in January, having missed over a year due to injury. Due to a hamstring injury, he was only able to play in two of the series’ games; however, given his recent success in the Gujarat Titans’ 2024 Indian Premier League, it seems that he is fully recovered.
In order to cater for injuries, pace bowler Ben Sears will travel and train with the team in addition to the 15 players selected for the tournament roster. Furthermore, NZC announced that Adam Milne was ruled out following surgery to treat an ankle ailment, while Kyle Jamieson was not available for selection due to his ongoing rehabilitation from a back injury.
