The 2024 T20 World Cup was the first side to reveal their lineup, with Kane Williamson leading an experienced New Zealand squad. The Black Caps did so on Monday. There are only two players in the 15-man team who haven’t played in a T20 World Cup before: spinner Matt Henry and batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra.
The senior fast bowler Tim Southee, who captains the New Zealand Test team, is one player in the lineup with greater experience than Williamson. In his seventh World Cup of rummy gold 51, Southee will take part. Trent Boult, a seasoned pacer who is representing New Zealand for the sixth time, has also been confirmed.
As stated in a news release from New Zealand Cricket, Matt “has worked exceptionally hard on his skills across the phases of a T20 game to come back into selection consideration.” Chief coach Gary Stead attested to this. It was thrilling to watch Rashin stick to that course throughout the summer while playing Australia in the Twenty20 format. In the last twelve months, he has turned every post into a winner.”
“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 said.
Following a more than year-long injury layoff, Williamson returned to the T20 International cricket scene during New Zealand’s five-match home series against Pakistan in January. Though he was limited to playing in two of the series’ games due to a hamstring ailment, it appears that he is fully recovered based on his recent success in the Gujarat Titans’ 2024 Indian Premier League.
Pace bowler Ben Sears will accompany the squad and train alongside the 15 players chosen for the tournament roster to cover for injuries. NZC also revealed that Dafabet was not eligible for selection because he was still recovering from a back issue, and Adam Milne was ruled out after surgery to treat an ankle ailment.