Tim Southee will captain New Zealand’s 15-man squad for their upcoming matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. However, head coach Gary Stead may limit his appearances to manage the team’s workload in challenging conditions. The tour includes a one-off test against Afghanistan in Noida, India on September 9, before two World Test Championship matches in Sri Lanka starting on September 18 and 26.
Despite taking only six wickets in four home tests last season, Southee is joined by pace bowlers Matt Henry, Ben Sears, and Will O’Rourke. Stead acknowledged, ‘Test tours to the subcontinent pose unique challenges for pace bowlers due to pitch conditions and climate.’ He emphasized the need to balance workloads across the tour.
Former captain Kane Williamson and allrounder Michael Bracewell, returning after a year, are also part of the squad. New Zealand, currently third in the World Test Championship standings, will travel to India in October for a three-test series and will host England in November and December for another three-test series.
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