Milne, Henry Earn New Zealand Tri-Series Call-Ups; Williamson Absent

Adam Milne and Matt Henry have been named in New Zealand's 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe. The series is set to be hosted in Zimbabwe.

Matt Henry eyes comeback after injury. © Getty

Bevon Jacobs, the uncapped batter who featured in the T20 series against Sri Lanka in December, has retained his place in the squad.

Milne's inclusion marks his return to the national side since November. Henry is back after recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Several players are unavailable for selection. Ben Sears is out with an injury. Lockie Ferguson is being rested as part of workload management. Kyle Jamieson is awaiting the birth of his first child. Devon Conway and Mitch Hay are also missing, with Tim Seifert slated to take over wicket-keeping duties. Kane Williamson has also made himself unavailable.

New Zealand's new head coach Rob Walter said, "I think we've got a really strong squad for this tour and I'm looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work."

He further added, "We've got some good experience in the side and it's nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL."

Walter also acknowledged the strength of their opponents. "It should be a great T20 Tri Series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions," he said.

The coach highlighted the opportunity this tour provides for Bevon Jacobs, while also emphasizing Adam Milne's crucial role. "Bevon's been an outstanding performer in domestic cricket and has gained some experience in franchise leagues around the world, so it'll be a good chance for him to get back into the squad and potentially play."

Speaking about Milne, Walter stated, "Adam's a really skilled T20 bowler, he's particularly proficient with the ball up front and brings that extra pace and bounce. With the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson out it's great to be able to lean on an experienced head in Adam."

Walter emphasized the significance of the tri-series in preparation for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

"With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition," he concluded.

New Zealand Squad: Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchel, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi