New Zealand announce 2nd-string team for T20Is vs Pakistan

Starting on Sunday, March 16, New Zealand will play Pakistan in a five-match Twenty20 International series, with Michael Bracewell leading a diminished team. The Hagley Oval in Christchurch is scheduled to host the opening Twenty20 International.

India defeated New Zealand in a thrilling final to finish as runners-up in the just ended 2025 Champions Trophy. During the eight-team competition, Bracewell was among the Kiwis’ top players. He is one of the seven members of the Champions Trophy team selected to play against the Men in Green in the Twenty20 Internationals. The other members of the team who were included in the Champions Trophy lineup were Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, and Will O’Rourke.

Bracewell has played in 27 Twenty20 Internationals and concluded with 82 runs and eight wickets from five Champions Trophy games. He has taken 34 wickets while holding the ball and added 259 runs while batting. In what looks to be a fascinating series, the Wellington Firebirds all-rounder will captain the Blackcaps for the first time on home soil.

Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, and white-ball captain Mitchell Santner are among the top players who will miss this series since they are participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts on March 22.

After missing the most recent home series against Sri Lanka, Ish Sodhi was called up. Ben Sears has recovered from the hamstring tear that prevented him from competing in last month’s Champions Trophy.

In order to control the workload of the pacers, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) only includes Jamieson and O’Rourke in the roster for the first three games.

Henry, on the other hand, is playing in the fourth and fifth Twenty20 Internationals after suffering an injury that kept him out of the Champions Trophy final. But after the Kiwis get back home on Wednesday, his status will be evaluated first.

When Williamson declared himself unavailable for the series, he was not taken into consideration. Bevon Jacobs, who was a member of the T20I team against Sri Lanka, would not be playing in the series because of his IPL commitments.

Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Michael Bracewell (captain), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry (for the fourth and fifth Twenty20 Internationals only), Kyle Jamieson (for the first three Twenty20 Internationals only), Will O’Rourke (for the first three Twenty20 Internationals only), and Finn Allen make up the New Zealand team for the Twenty20 International match against Pakistan.