Matt Henry edges Ben Sears for place in Black Caps’ T20 World Cup squad

Monday, 29 April 2024

• Matt Henry has edged Ben Sears for the seam bowling vacancy in the Black Caps’ squad for June’s Twenty20 World Cup.

• Adam Milne was ruled out after having ankle surgery, leaving a hole to be filled.

• Rachin Ravindra will join Henry in playing at his first T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.

Matt Henry has edged Ben Sears to be the surprise pick in the Black Caps’ squad for the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States in June.

Adam Milne was ruled out of the tournament after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury, leaving coach Gary Stead and selector Sam Wells with a decision to make.

Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee are set to be three of New Zealand’s four seamers for the third T20 World Cup in a row.

But alongside them – and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham – Stead and Wells have gone with Henry over Sears in a choice between two World Cup debutants, though the unlucky Wellingtonian will still travel as injury cover.

Henry’s rise as a T20 bowler over the past year has been highlighted by his late callup as an injury replacement in this year’s Indian Premier League by the Lucknow Super Giants.

In 11 matches since returning to the Black Caps’ T20 fold after six years away in 2023, Henry has taken 13 wickets at an average of 23.46 and a strike rate of 18 with an economy rate of 7.82

In the same period, Sears has also played 11 matches and has 13 wickets at an average of 22.15 and a strike rate of 15.2 with an economy rate of 8.72.

All 11 of Sears’ outings came during the 2023-24 summer, while just four of Henry’s did, but the Black Caps selectors have gone for the bowler with greater experience – and a new-ball alternative to Boult and Southee in the squad of 15.

“Matt Henry provides more new-ball options,” Stead said on Monday. “Ben Sears will still travel us, and if you think about the history and who the bowlers are that do get injured the most, it's generally your out-and-out pace bowlers, so Ben's there to help us as cover for Lockie, in that type of situation.”

All-rounder Rachin Ravindra will join Henry in playing at his first World Cup, with Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips the others who can be considered spin-bowling candidates.

Kane Williamson will lead the Black Caps at a fourth T20 World Cup and be joined by Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Phillips, Ravindra and Bracewell in the batting ranks.

There was no place for Tim Seifert as a specialist wicketkeeper. Those duties will instead fall to Conway – still recovering from a thumb injury suffered in that role against Australia in February – and Allen.

Williamson will be playing in his sixth T20 World Cup, having first attended one in 2012, while Southee – the world’s leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals – will be playing in his seventh, having first gone in 2010.

The Black Caps’ campaign begins on June 8 (first ball 11.30am NZ time) when they face Afghanistan, with the West Indies the other major contender in group C, which also features Papua New Guinea and Uganda.

The top two teams in each group will form two four-team groups in the Super Eight phase, with the top two in those groups going through to the semifinals. The final will be played on June 30 (NZ time) in Barbados.

The Black Caps have made it to the semifinals at the last three T20 World Cups, losing there in 2016 in India and in 2022 in Australia, but making it to the final in 2021 in the UAE, where they lost to their trans-Tasman rivals.

Black Caps – 2024 Twenty20 World Cup

Squad

Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee

Fixtures (NZ time)

Saturday, June 8, 11.30am: v Afghanistan; Guyana National Stadium

Thursday, June 12, 12.30pm: v West Indies; Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago

Saturday, June 15, 12.30pm: v Uganda; Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Tuesday, June 18, 2.30am: v Papua New Guinea; Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Thursday, June 20 to Tuesday, June 25: Super Eight phase*

Thursday, June 27, 12.30pm: Semifinal one; Brian Lara Cricket Academy*

Friday, June 28, 2.30am: Semifinal two; Guyana National Stadium*

Sunday, June 30, 2.30am: Final; Kensington Oval, Barbados*

* if qualified