Mark Chapman, who represented Hong Kong at the T20 World Cup in 2014 and 2016, has been named in New Zealand’s 15-member squad for the 2021 edition to be played in the UAE and Oman starting next month.
There was no place for legendary players like Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme.Finn Allen didn’t make it in the team. But Todd Astle, the 34-year-old legspinner and all of four T20Is old, was picked along with two other spinners in the squad – legspinner Ish Sodhi and left-arm spinning allrounder Mitchell Santner – for surfaces that will most likely aid turn.
Ross Taylor has been the spearhead of New Zealand’s batting across formats for more than 10 years, a period that has brought consistent Test success for the nation, especially on home soil, and the appearance in consecutive World Cup finals.Meanwhile,de Grandhomme is a bruising, broad-shouldered batsman, and a disciplined medium-pace bowler.He performed well in the 2019 ICC World Cup too.So,these two players being dropped has raised many questions on the selection committee.
Fast bowler Adam Milne was named as a standby who will travel with the squad, but will be called upon only as an injury replacement.
The same squad will also tour India later this year for three T20Is.
The squad features four top fast bowlers – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson. Apart from Southee, the other three would have had considerable training and match time at the IPL leading into the World Cup.
Boult is part of the Mumbai Indians attack, while Jamieson and Ferguson are the go-to fast bowlers for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively. Like the faster men, Williamson and Jimmy Neesham, too, will head from the IPL into the World Cup, where New Zealand are yet to reach the finals.
New Zealand are placed in Group 2 alongside India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and two qualifiers at the T20 World Cup. After that, they will fly out to India for a T20I series followed by two Tests. NZC will announce the Test squad after a month or so.
Squad for T20 World Cup and India T20Is: Kane Williamson (capt), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Adam Milne (injury cover)