Black Caps ‘B’ face Pakistan in T20 while stars languish in IPL
Sending a ‘B’ team to Pakistan for a fivematch series doesn’t appeal as the ideal buildup to the Twenty20 World Cup.
But when many of the ‘A’ team aren’t playing at the same time, it feels doubly problematic.
The Black Caps will start their series in Rawalpindi on Friday morning (NZ time) for their final set of games before the World Cup begins in the West Indies and the United States in June.
Among the 15 players in the New Zealand touring squad, possibly only legspinner Ish Sodhi could be regarded as a near-certainty for the World Cup, while four other players are considered as strong Cup contenders.
Yet further hampering the Black Caps’ preparation - for a tournament they’ve made the semifinal and final at in the two previous events - is that only three of their key performers are currently playing regularly.
Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell and Trent Boult have been 1st XI members at their Indian Premier League franchises, but Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry have played just three games between them at the world’s biggest domestic T20 tournament, while test skipper Tim Southee has been rested after a busy home summer in all formats.
Conway has been recovering at the Chennai Super Kings from a broken left thumb which forced him to miss the twotest series at home against Australia, while left-arm spinner Santner (also at Chennai) and allrounder Phillips (Sunrisers Hyderabad) haven’t made an IPL appearance yet this campaign.
Williamson, who injured his knee in the opening game of the 2023 IPL and was sidelined for six months, has played only two games for the Gujarat Titans (making 27 runs from as many balls), while pace bowler Ferguson made his first appearance of the current competition this week and took 2-52 from his four overs as his Royal Challengers Bengaluru side conceded 2873.
Ravindra has been batting at an impressive strike-rate of 166.25 while averaging 22 at the top order for Chennai, and IPL teammate Mitchell has also played six games, averaging 27 at a strike rate of 125.
IPL veteran Boult has taken six wickets in as many games for the Rajasthan Royals at an average of 24.33, with an economy rate of 7.30.
The squad to contest the series in Pakistan received a further setback recently when opener Finn Allen and pace bowler Adam Milne - two players likely to be at the World Cup - were ruled out with injuries.
The games in Pakistan loom as big opportunities for the likes of Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Tim Seifert, and Jimmy Neesham.
Bracewell will captain New Zealand in Pakistan in his first international appearance since March 2023, after he ruptured an Achilles tendon last June.
The hard-hitting lower-order bat and offspin bowler missed the ODI World Cup and any chance of a return to the national side late in summer was hampered by a broken finger.
Chapman, 29, has been a regular member of the T20 side in recent years as a left-handed middle-order bat. He impressed in Pakistan this time last year, but had little impact in nine innings versus Bangladesh, Pakistan and Australia at home over summer.
Seifert is likely to be pushing for a spot as the back-up top-order bat and wicketkeeper behind Conway, should the Wellington left-hander recover his fitness and form.
Neesham, not contracted to New Zealand Cricket, is now 33 and has played intermittently for the Black Caps in the format since the 2022 World Cup, but remains a dangerous batting ‘closer’.