New Zealand announce squad for Afghanistan and Sri Lanka tests; Include 5 spinners

Tim Southee will lead New Zealand in three tests against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand picked two genuine spinners and three spinning all-rounders in their 15-man squad for their upcoming test matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. They have also included pacers William O’Rourke and Ben Sears.

Tim Southee will lead the Kiwis on a two-month test tour of Asia, which will start with a one-off test against Afghanistan on September 9, to be played at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground in India.

They will then fly to Sri Lanka for two tests. Galle is expected to host both matches, although the dates are yet to be confirmed. The Black Caps will then visit India for a three-match test series, which will get underway on October 16 in Bengaluru, followed by tests in Pune and Mumbai. Notably, New Zealand are yet to announce their squad for the India tour.

Michael Bracewell returns to New Zealand test squad after being away for more than a year due to injuries

Off-spinning all-rounder Michael Bracewell made his return to the test setup after being sidelined for a year and a half due to Achilles and finger injuries. Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, and Glenn Phillips are other spinning options in the squad.

Pacer Kyle Jamieson is yet to completely recover from a back injury and hence will miss the tour.

For the tests against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, New Zealand have roped in legendary Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as spin-bowling coach.

The Kiwis are currently third on the ICC World Test Championship table, behind India and Australia. The upcoming tour of Asia could very well decide whether they will be able to make it to the final next year.

New Zealand squad to face Afghanistan and Sri Lanka:

Tim Southee (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (vc), Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson, Will Young

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