WELLINGTON, 24 November (H.S.): New Zealand has announced its 14-man squad for the first Test against the West Indies, with the significant return of star batsman Kane Williamson. The match is scheduled to commence on December 2 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Williamson, who was absent from the Test series against Zimbabwe in July, will be making his first appearance in the Test lineup since December of last year. In preparation, he is slated to play for Northern Districts in the second round of the Plunket Shield.
Pace Attack Revamped
The squad for the first test features the inclusion of fast bowlers Jacob Duffy, Zac Foulkes, and Blair Tickner. Both Duffy and Foulkes made their Test debuts against Zimbabwe, with Foulkes delivering a remarkable performance, securing match figures of 9/75—the best ever for a New Zealander on Test debut.
Tickner's return to the Test setup is his first since March 2023.
Injury UpdatesAll-rounder Daryl Mitchell has also been named in the squad, having recovered from a groin injury sustained during the first ODI against the West Indies. However, Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Phillips are not yet fully fit and are on controlled red-ball return-to-play programs.
Additionally, Matt Fisher, Will O’Rourke, and Ben Sears are sidelined as they recover from calf, back, and hamstring injuries, respectively.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter expressed his satisfaction with Williamson's return, stating, Kane's ability on the field speaks for itself and it will be great to have his skills as well as his leadership back in the test group.
New Zealand Squad for First Test:Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zac Foulkes, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
