Many of New Zealand\u2019s top names not available for home series, including Santner, Conway, Ferguson, Phillips
\n WELLINGTON
\nMichael Bracewell will captain New Zealand for the first time on home soil when they meet Pakistan in a five-game T20 series, leading a squad named Tuesday missing several key players because of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
\nBracewell starred as the Black Caps reached the final of the Champions Trophy and is one of seven players from that one-day team selected for the T20s.
\nBut a host of top names are not available due to IPL commitments, including regular skipper Mitchell Santner, along with Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson and Glenn Phillips.
\nKane Williamson also made himself unavailable for the series, which gets under way on Sunday in Christchurch.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a great honour and a real privilege to captain your country,\u201d said Bracewell, who led the side on their white-ball tour of Pakistan last year but has yet to take the reins at home.
\n\u201cMitch Santner\u2019s done a great job since taking over as white-ball captain and I\u2019ll really just be trying to build on his good work and create an enjoyable environment for the guys to perform in.
\n\u201cPakistan are always a dangerous short-form side with lots of power and pace and we know they\u00b4ll be hurting after an early exit in the Champions Trophy,\u201d he added.
\nSpinner Ish Sodhi was recalled while paceman Ben Sears is back after recovering from a torn hamstring.
\nFinn Allen, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Seifert were also included as both teams start building up to next year\u2019s T20 World Cup in India.
\nNew Zealand squad: Michael Bracewell (capt), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes (games 4 and 5 only), Mitch Hay, Matt Henry (games 4 and 5 only), Kyle Jamieson (games 1, 2 and 3 only), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Will O\u00b4Rourke (games 1, 2 and 3 only), Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.<\/p>\n
new zealand tour
\nT20I series schedule
\nMarch 16 \u2014 First T20I in Christchurch
\nMarch 18 \u2014 Second T20I in Dunedin
\nMarch 21 \u2014 Third T20I in Auckland
\nMarch 23 \u2014 Fourth T20I in Mount Maunganui
\nMarch 26 \u2014 Fifth T20I in Wellington<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many of New Zealand\u2019s top names not available for home series, including Santner, Conway, Ferguson, Phillips WELLINGTON Michael Bracewell will captain New Zealand for the first time on home soil when they meet Pakistan in a five-game T20 series, leading a squad named Tuesday missing several key players because of the Indian Premier League (IPL). […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466656,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-466642","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n