New Zealand announce 20-man squad for England Test tour

New Zealand have announced a 20-man squad for their three-Test tour of England in June. The Kiwis will take on the Ben Stokes-led team at Lord's, Headingley, and Leeds with 36 World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake.

Kane Williamson will lead the New Zealand side, which includes 13 of the 15 players who defeated India to win the inaugural WTC in 2021. The other two, legendary batter Ross Taylor and veteran wicketkeeper-batter BJ Watling, have retired from all forms of cricket.

Wellington Firebirds all-rounder Michael Bracewell has received his maiden Test call-up for the tour. The 31-year-old was part of the ODI and T20I sides for New Zealand's series against the Netherlands in March-April, scoring 63 runs in two ODIs.

Canterbury wicketkeeper-batter Cam Fletcher and Central Stags speedster Blair Tickner, who were called up for the home Test series against South Africa (in February-March) but didn't get a chance to play, have been retained.

In an official statement, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead called it an "exciting time" for the newcomers, saying:

“It’s an exciting time in particular for Michael and Cam, who will be heading away with the Blackcaps for the first time. They had a taste of the environment this summer and I’m sure they’ll be looking forward to the opportunity of touring with the side and all the extra things that entails.”

Williamson, the third-ranked Test batter, seconded Stead, saying "there's no one better" than England at home which makes for "special" cricket. The skipper explained:

"It's always an exciting time when the Test team comes together and playing Test cricket in England is always something quite special. We know the challenge is fierce. Whenever you play England in their conditions, there's no one better."

The first Test will be played between June 2-6, the second between June 10-14, followed by the final between June 23-27.

The Kiwis will also play two warm-up matches in the leadup to the tour, but the five players involved in IPL 2022 - Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Trent Boult (Rajasthan Royals), Tim Southee (Kolkata Knight Riders), Devon Conway (Chennai Super Kings), and Daryl Mitchell (Rajasthan Royals) - are unlikely to be available for them.

Check out who is at the top of the IPL points table 2022 here.

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New Zealand squad for England tour

Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Cameron Fletcher, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, and Will Young.