New Zealand stars Kane Williamson and Michael Bracewell have opted out of the upcoming national team tour of Zimbabwe to focus on England’s domestic competitions instead.
Williamson is currently playing for Middlesex in the T20 Blast and is set to represent London Spirit in The Hundred. While New Zealand gears up for a tour of Zimbabwe, the experienced batter will remain committed to franchise cricket in England.
Since stepping away from a central contract, Williamson has chosen to play selectively for the national side. Though he generally tries to be available for Tests when fit, he will not feature even in the red-ball series this time around.
Before the two-match Test series in Zimbabwe, New Zealand will participate in a tri-nation T20 tournament also involving South Africa. Williamson had already withdrawn from that competition. Notably, he stepped down from central contracts while still captaining New Zealand’s white-ball sides, and later relinquished captaincy altogether.
Bracewell, like Williamson, will miss the Zimbabwe Tests. The spin-bowling allrounder will represent Southern Brave in The Hundred after being signed for £200,000. He coordinated the deal with Cricket New Zealand to align with his central contract.
The two-Test series in Zimbabwe is not part of the ICC World Test Championship, which new coach Rob Walter confirmed was a major factor in both players’ absence.
Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson will also miss the series to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, while fellow pacer Ben Sears is out due to injury.
Several fresh faces will join the Test squad. Speedster Matt Fisher has received his first national call-up. The 25-year-old has taken 25 wickets in 14 first-class matches and previously played for New Zealand U-19 and the New Zealand A team.
Another bowler knocking on the Test door is Jacob Duffy, a regular in New Zealand’s limited-overs squads. The 30-year-old has played 14 ODIs and 23 T20Is and currently holds the top spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings. With 318 wickets in 108 first-class matches, he’s pushing for his Test debut.
The pace attack will also include regular names like Will O’Rourke, Matt Henry, and Nathan Smith.
Experienced batter Henry Nicholls and spinner Ajaz Patel return to the Test fold. Nicholls last played a Test in November 2023 against Bangladesh, scoring just 25 runs in four innings. However, strong performances in domestic cricket earned him a recall—he scored 464 runs in four Plunket Shield matches for Canterbury at an average of 116.
Ajaz Patel’s last Test appearance came in Mumbai last November, where his 11 wickets helped New Zealand seal a historic 3-0 win over India. He will be joined in the spin department by allrounders Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips.
Both Tests in Zimbabwe will be played in Bulawayo, starting July 30 and August 8, respectively. Before that, the tri-series featuring South Africa will begin on July 16 in Harare, with that squad already announced.
The Zimbabwe tour also marks the beginning of a new era under head coach Rob Walter, following the successful tenure of Gary Stead.
New Zealand Test squad
Tom Latham (captain), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Will Young.
