Mitchell Santner will captain the Black Caps at the T20 World Cup. Photo / Photosport
Black Caps coach Rob Walter is confident his team will be fit and ready for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup despite a third of the squad being under an injury cloud a month out from the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
New Zealand’s 15-man squad was unveiled on Wednesday, which has opted for experience over youth, but there will be concern around the fitness of several players.
Batters Finn Allen (finger/hamstring) and Mark Chapman (ankle), bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry (both calf), and captain Mitchell Santner (adductor) are all undergoing return-to-play plans.
Chapman, Henry and Santner are all expected to be fit for the upcoming tour of India which begins on January 11 with three one-dayers followed by three T20s.
Walter is adamant everyone will be ready to go for their first match on February 8.
“Fortunately we still got a bit of time before the tournament starts,” Walter said.
“It’s about just giving all of those guys the best opportunity to get ready and prep for a World Cup.
“There’s continuous conversations with the medical team and the player themselves to understand where everyone is, and we’re hopeful at this stage and confident that the guys will be ready for the World Cup.
“Everyone has got a very clear plan and chipping away. The World Cup is a special moment, so everyone will be working really hard to be ready.”
Ferguson’s injury will likely cause the most concern; it has ruled him out of the Big Bash where he was set to play for the Sydney Thunder. The 34-year-old is on a casual playing contract and last played for New Zealand in November 2024.
He joins fellow fast bowlers Will O’Rourke, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner on the sidelines, while Ben Sears is making his return to play through the Super Smash.
Ferguson and Henry’s partners are due to give birth during the tournament, so there is a chance they will be granted short-term leave, which could elevate Kyle Jamieson, who has been named as a travelling reserve, into the attack.
Despite the injuries, the Black Caps pose a strong seam attack which also includes Adam Milne and Jacob Duffy, the lone first-timer in the squad which boasts 1064 T20 international caps.
There are two specialist spinners in captain Santner and Ish Sodhi, while Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips will provide all-rounder coverage.
Walter says he’s pleased with the balance of the squad.
“You need to cover all bases, which is obvious, but sometimes can be tricky when you have a 15-man squad,” Walter said.
“Our all-rounders are mostly in the spin space, so we do cover all spin, with our batting options as well there. And then we wanted to make sure we had a strong pace bowling battery given our opposition in the pool phases.
“It’s a neat balance, I think, with the spin and seam options, and it’s obviously always important to have a seam bowling all-round option to just get the balance right where required if we were to go 3-3 balance or a 4-2 split.”
There is no room for Zak Foulkes, Bevan Jacobs and Tim Robinson, who have all been named in the Black Caps’ T20 squad for their three-match series against India, starting on January 22, which precedes the ODI’s.
At the last T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, New Zealand didn’t make it out of group play, losing to the West Indies and Afghanistan.
Walter says the team doesn’t need any extra motivation on the big stage.
“I know that missing out in the last World Cup was certainly something that the guys that hurt the guys,” Walter, who coached South Africa in the 2024 tournament, said.
“This team is really always about representing the country well, and they felt that we didn’t get that right.
“I don’t think there’s extra motivation because I don’t think you need extra motivation in a World Cup. You’re just as motivated as you possibly can be.
“We’ve been perennial semi-finalists and finalists for a long period of time across all formats. We always want to be better, but importantly want to represent well.”
New Zealand will start their 2026 World Cup against Afghanistan before facing the UAE, South Africa and Canada, with the top two teams from the group qualifying for the Super Eights.
Black Caps’ T20 World Cup squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi.
Kyle Jamieson has been named as a travelling reserve.
Black Caps’ T20 World Cup schedule:
V Afghanistan, February 8, 6.30pm at Chennai
V UAE, February 10, 10.30pm at Chennai
V South Africa, February 15, 2.30am at Ahmedabad
V Canada, February 17, 6.30pm at Chennai
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.