AUCKLAND, Aug 10: New Zealand players’ participation in the IPL was approved by its cricket board on Tuesday when it also announced different squads for the sub-continent tour and T20 World Cup as part of its workload management in COVID times.
While the first-choice New Zealand team led by Kane Williamson will tour India after the T20 World Cup, Tom Latham will captain a second string side to Bangladesh and Pakistan in September-October as it coincides with the suspended IPL resuming from September 19.
Most of the New Zealand players picked for the T20 World Cup will get to play in the preceding IPL, which will 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 raging through the country but BCCI still remains the host of the ICC event.
Senior batsman Ross Taylor was picked for the three ODIs in Pakistan but then it was mutually agreed that he would remain at home to prepared for the Test tour of India.
New Zealand will tour Pakistan after 18 years.
“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,” the statement added. (PTI)
