Pace trio Jacob Duffy, Zakary Foulkes, and Blair Tickner have been added to a 14-man squad for the first Test match against the West Indies, while Kane Williamson is back in the New Zealand Test squad. Daryl Mitchell, who has fully recovered from a slight groin injury sustained during the first ODI against the West Indies, is also included in the team.
Kane Williamson hasn’t played for New Zealand in a Test match since December of last year after opting out of the series against Zimbabwe earlier in July of this year. Before the Test begins, the dependable hitter will also play for the Northern Districts in the Plunkett Shield second round.
During their Test debuts against Zimbabwe, bowlers Duffy and Foulkes had the best match stats of any New Zealander, with the latter taking 9 for 75. At the same time, Tickner makes his first appearance back in the Test setup since March 2023.
Team: Will Young, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, and Tom Latham (captain), Tom Blundell (wk), and
As part of a planned red-ball return-to-play plan, Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Phillips were eliminated from consideration for selection as they continue to heal from injuries and improve their match fitness. Ben Sears is still recuperating from a hamstring injury, Will O’Rourke from a back injury, and Matt Fisher from a shin injury.
Kane Williamson was welcomed back into the New Zealand squad by head coach Rob Walter.
“Kane Williamson ability on the pitch speaks for itself and it will be great to have his skills as well as his leadership back in the Test group.”
The Hagley Oval in Christchurch will host the first Test match against the West Indies on December 2.
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