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The New Zealand Cricket Board on March 26 (Sunday) announced the senior men's national squad for the home T20I series against Sri Lanka and away T20I series against Pakistan. In the absence of senior players Kane Williamson and Tim Southee, both of whom will be busy playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Tom Latham has been recalled to the T20I side and the left-handed batter will lead the team as well.
"We saw against India earlier this season the power and range of shots that Tom possess. His adaptability also means he can feature in a range of batting positions," New Zealand coach Gary Stead said on Latham's return to T20I set-up.
"He led an inexperienced T20 squad to Bangladesh in 2021 and we were really impressed with his leadership of that group during a COVID bubble tour," he added.
The Black Cps will first lock horns in a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at home and then the team will travel to Pakistan to cross swords against the Men in Green in a five-match T20I series. The Sri Lanka T20I series will commence on April 2 while New Zealand vs Pakistan T20I series will begin on April 14.
For the series against Sri Lanka, a 13-member squad has been announced for New Zealand while for the Pakistan tour, a strong 15-member squad has been announced.
In the absence of senior players who will be displaying their talents in IPL, several new faces have been included in New Zealand's squad.
"We’ve got players returning and guys potentially making their debuts, that’s a really exciting mix to have in the group for these matches," Stead said while reflecting on the fresh faces included in the squad.
"Players like Tim and Cole haven’t been around the squad for little while and I am sure they will bring good energy when they are involved. They have both earned their selection with strong domestic form this season," he added.
New Zealand squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Tom Latham (c, wk), Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Will Young
New Zealand squad for Pakistan T20Is: Tom Latham (c, wk), Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young
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