Two kids Matilda and Angus announced New Zealand’s T20 World Cup squad. (Screengrab)
It’s not just the battle on 22 yards that fans care about these days but equally important is the virtual presence. The New Zealand Cricket’s social media team on Monday grabbed eyeballs with its unique concept of announcing the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, starting in the West Indies and United States of America in June.
Among the run of the mill content that one comes across in the name of social media battles, the video comes across as cute, warm and sincere, where two kids Matilda and Angus announced the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
An experienced side
Kane Williamson will lead an experienced Blackcaps squad to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This is Williamson’s sixth appearance in a T20 World Cup squad and his fourth tournament as captain.
His experience is bettered only by Tim Southee, who has earned selection in his seventh T20 World Cup squad and currently sits as the leading wicket-taker in the history of T20Is.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson during the Cricket World Cup semi-final against India at the Wankhede Stadium. (PTI Photo)
Trent Boult has been selected in his fifth T20 World Cup squad.
The squad also boasts significant recent experience in the conditions with 13 of the 15-man group featuring on the team’s last tour to the West Indies in 2022.
As well as that, six of the squad have also featured in the Caribbean Premier League T20 competition.
“We expect the venues in the West Indies to offer quite varied conditions and feel we’ve selected a squad with the scope to adapt to those conditions,” said New Zealand coach Gary Stead.
Our squad for the @t20worldcup in the West Indies and USA in June 🏏
MORE | https://t.co/a8cLkEjSDH #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/OUwHjEdaPn
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) April 29, 2024
Bowler Matt Henry and batting all-rounder Rachin Ravindra are the only two members of the 15 without ICC T20 World Cup experience.
“Matt has worked exceptionally hard on his skills across the phases of a T20 game to come back into selection consideration,” said Stead.
“Rachin has made every post a winner in the past 12 months and it was exciting to see him continue that trajectory over the summer in the T20 format against Australia.”
Injury updates
New Zealand will be without Adam Milne and Kyle Jamieson.
Milne was ruled out following surgery to repair an ankle injury, and Kyle Jamieson was also unavailable for selection as he continues to rehabilitate his back injury.
Pace bowler Ben Sears will travel and train with the team as injury cover.
Coaching staffs
Stead will lead a support staff group featuring batting coach Luke Ronchi and Jacob Oram as bowling coach, while James Foster will act as assistant coach for the group with a focus on fielding.
Oram has featured as a player the last time the the T20 World Cup was held in the West Indies, and he was also part of the New Zealand women’s coaching group the last time the women’s edition was held in the Caribbean.
New Zealand squad
Kane Williamson (C), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears
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