Vaibhav Tripathi
New Zealand has suffered a setback as seasoned all-rounder Jimmy Neesham pulled himself out of the upcoming 4-match T20I series against England, commencing in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, August 30. Neesham will be returning home to be by the side of his wife who is expecting their first child.
In place of Neesham, spin-bowling all-rounder Cole McConchie will step into the 15-man T20I squad for the series against England. McConchie had recently been part of the Blackcaps team that secured a 2-1 victory over UAE, contributing 40 runs across two matches, with a top score of 31*.
Initially slated to join the BlackCaps squad, after his involvement with the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred Men’s Competition, Neesham, aged 32, will instead return home to be by the side of his wife. Notably, Neesham had showcased a heroic display in The Hundred’s final, notching a remarkable 57 off 33 balls to guide the Invincibles to a 14-run triumph and the championship title.
New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, has wholeheartedly endorsed Neesham’s choice to return home.
“The birth of a child is a special time and we are a family environment. We are glad to be able to support Jimmy in heading home,” said Gary Stead.
New Zealand’s revised T20I squad for England T20Is:
Tim Southee (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi