IPL 2021: New Zealand players cleared for league resumption; NZC announce squads for sub-continent tours

Auckland, Aug 10: New Zealand players were cleared for IPL 2021 resumption after New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday (August 10) announced different squads for the sub-continent tour and T20 World Cup as part of its workload management in COVID times.

While first-choice skipper Kane Williamson is set to lead the side in the T20 World Cup and the subsequent tour to India, Tom Latham will lead the second string side that will tour Bangladesh and Pakistan in September-October.

Most of the New Zealand players picked for the T20 World Cup will get to play in the preceding IPL which is scheduled to resume from September 19 and is seen as a platform to serve as good preparation for the showpiece event in the UAE.

Both IPL and T20 World Cup have been moved out of India due to the COVID-19 pandemic but BCCI still remains the host of the ICC event.

The likes of Williamson along with Trent Boult, Kyle Jameison, Jimmy Neesham, Adam Milne, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson are the Balckcaps players that are part of IPL franchises.

On allowing the star New Zealand players to participate in the IPL, NZC chief executive David White said: "It's a pragmatic approach. We've always tried to be realistic about the IPL and this particular issue is very much a one-off, caused by a unique set of circumstances."

The premier T20 tournament had to be suspended in May with COVID-19 raging through India at that time and multiple cases were also reported in the tournament's bio-bubble.

Meanwhile, senior batsman Ross Taylor, who was picked for the three ODIs in Pakistan, does not make the T20 World Cup squad as it was mutually agreed that he would remain at home to prepare for the Test tour of India.

The Kiwis will begin the sub-continent tour with a stopover at Bangaldesh, where they'll play a 5-match T20 series scheduled for September 1 to September.

The Latham-led side will then tour Pakistan for first time after 18 years. And the Blackcaps are scheduled to play a Three-match ODI series, scheduled for September 17, 19 and 21 followed by a five-match T20I series, set for September 25 to October 3.

"The first BLACKCAPS squad will depart for Bangladesh on August 23 and the players from the Test tour to India will return home and emerge from MIQ just before Christmas," said New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in a statement.

"While the Test squad to tour India will not be announced for another month or so, the BLACKCAPS white-ball squads will comprise a total of 32 players - including two new to the set-up in Canterbury all-rounder Cole McConchie, and Wellington paceman Ben Sears," it added.

White said the changing times demanded changing strategies, with "player welfare and support now one of professional sport's biggest challenges, particularly in the current pandemic environment".

"The need to safeguard the well-being of our players and support staff is now very real, and we've endeavoured to do this by carefully managing their workloads over this winter's massive playing programme," said White.

Squads:

BLACKCAPS squad for ICC T20 World Cup and India T20s: Kane Williamson (captain), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, *Adam Milne (injury cover)

Squad for Bangladesh T20Is and Pakistan ODIs: Tom Latham (captain/wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wicketkeeper), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry (ODI only), Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears (T20 only), Blair Tickner, Will Young.

Squad for Pakistan T20Is: Tom Latham (captain/wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wicketkeeper), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner, Will Young.

(With PTI inputs)