One of the most notable omissions from New Zealand’s T20I squad for the upcoming tri-nation series against Zimbabwe and South Africa in Zimbabwe is top-order batter Devon Conway.
Devon Conway’s omission signals possible end of T20I road
Once a three-format mainstay, the 33-year-old’s exclusion under new head coach Rob Walter has raised eyebrows. Conway’s poor run across formats in the past two years seems to have caught up with him. Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, his form had dipped drastically, he managed only one score above 20 in nine T20Is leading into the tournament. His World Cup returns were underwhelming as well, scoring just 8 and 5 in the group stage, contributing to New Zealand’s early exit. Since then, he hasn’t featured in T20Is, despite appearances in SA20 and Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. With a modest strike rate of just 104.03 across 12 T20Is between January 2023 and June 2024, Conway’s T20I future looks uncertain, especially with New Zealand beginning their build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026.
Fresh faces join under Mitchell Santner’s leadership with absence of Kane Williamson
In another major development, Kane Williamson will miss the Zimbabwe tri-series, having made himself unavailable due to personal commitments while playing county and The Hundred cricket in England. Lockie Ferguson has been rested to manage his workload and Kyle Jamieson is absent as he awaits the birth of his first child. These vacancies have allowed the selectors to bring back Adam Milne, who returns to the national setup after recovering from ankle surgery.
Milne has been in good form recently, taking nine wickets in four games for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket. Bevon Jacobs, the uncapped 22-year-old, also retains his place from the December 2024 Sri Lanka series. With a breakout domestic season and an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians, Jacobs brings explosiveness to the top order. The 15-member squad, captained by Mitchell Santner, will also include the returning Matt Henry, who missed the Champions Trophy earlier this year due to a shoulder injury. This series will act as a proving ground for younger talents and returning players under Walter’s new regime.
New Zealand’s first major assignment under new head coach Rob Walter
Rob Walter, recently appointed as New Zealand’s head coach across formats, will be looking towards building a formidable squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka The support staff, including Luke Ronchi, Jacob Oram and James Foster, will work alongside Walter as the squad begins their campaign against South Africa in Harare on July 16, just two days after the MLC final. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has also clarified that replacements will be named if any squad members are delayed due to franchise league commitments. After the T20Is, the team will remain in Zimbabwe for a two-match Test series in Bulawayo, signaling a busy international season under a new strategic direction.
New Zealand squad for T20 tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa
Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Will O’Rourke
