Williamson out of Bangladesh T20 series, will return for Pakistan T20s

AUCKLAND (AFP): Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and star seamer Kyle Jamieson have been withdrawn for the three-match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh, New Zealand Cricket said Friday. Kane Williamson, however, is expected to return for T20I series against Pakistan early next year.

Despite being named in the original squad, Williamson will undergo further rehabilitation after knee surgery last April, while Jamieson is nursing a hamstring injury, the Black Caps said.

They will be replaced by opener Rachin Ravindra and seamer Jacob Duffy for the three Twenty20 games, starting on December 27. Mitchell Santner replaces Williamson as the Black Caps captain.

Head coach Gary Stead said Williamson and Jamieson were withdrawn on medical advice with an eye on the Test series against both South Africa, then Australia in early 2024.

“We want both Kane and Kyle to be in the best possible place leading into the next block of Test cricket,” Stead said in a statement.

“Based on discussions with the medical staff, it was decided a period of rehabilitation and conditioning was the best option for both.”

Williamson is expected to return for the T20 home series in January against Pakistan, which Jamieson will also miss, a Black Caps spokesman told AFP.

New Zealand wrapped up victory in the one-day international series against Bangladesh by winning both games so far, ahead of the third ODI in Napier on Saturday.

Revised New Zealand T20 squad: Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee