Source: Radio New Zealand
Black Caps bowler Ben Sears. www.photosport.nz
Wellington Firebirds pace-bowler Ben Sears will join the Black Caps as a travelling reserve for the ICC T20 World Cup in India, starting in a week.
Sears will replace Kyle Jamieson, who was called into the main squad last week following the withdrawal of Adam Milne with a hamstring injury.
The 27-year-old will link up with the T20 World Cup squad in Mumbai on Sunday ahead of the side’s warm-up match against the US on 6 February.
In 2024, Sears was also named as a travelling reserve player in New Zealand’s squad for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup tournament.
Black Caps coach Rob Walter said Sears had made an encouraging comeback from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the start of the home summer.
“Ben’s worked hard to get himself back on the park and it’s been great to see him back playing and performing well,” Walter said.
“He’s had a full Super Smash campaign with the Firebirds where he was the competition’s joint second-top wicket-taker from the round-robin stage with 15 wickets from his nine games.
“It will be great to have Ben with us here in India and ready to make an impact at the World Cup should someone get injured.”
The Black Caps are in Group D alongside Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa and the UAE, with their opening match on 8 February in Chennai against Afghanistan.
Black Caps T20 World Cup cricket squad
- Mitchell Santner (c) – Northern Brave
- Finn Allen – Auckland Aces
- Michael Bracewell – Wellington Firebirds
- Mark Chapman – Auckland Aces
- Devon Conway – Wellington Firebirds
- Jacob Duffy – Volts
- Lockie Ferguson – Auckland Aces
- Matt Henry – Canterbury Kings
- Kyle Jamieson – Canterbury Kings
- Daryl Mitchell – Canterbury Kings
- James Neesham – Auckland Aces
- Glenn Phillips – Volts
- Rachin Ravindra – Wellington Firebirds
- Tim Seifert – Northern Brave
- Ish Sodhi – Canterbury Kings
*Ben Sears – Wellington Firebirds – travelling reserve
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
