Williamson to captain New Zealand in T20s

The totemic batsman missed New Zealand’s last T20 series against England earlier this year because of a knee injury but returns with all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and seamer Ben Sears, who is set to play his first international on home soil.

Devon Conway is being rested and his fellow batter Michael Bracewell as well as seamers Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Henry Shipley were all ruled out by injury. Strike bowler Trent Boult did not make himself available for selection.

“With a World Cup in the middle of next year we’re well into our planning in terms of both the tournament and the type of squad we might need in the conditions,” coach Gary Stead said in a news release. “While we’re advanced in our planning ... there is certainly still time for players to come into that mix.”

At the conclusion of the ongoing one-day series against the tourists, the Black Caps will face Bangladesh in Napier on Dec. 27 before two further matches in Tauranga on Dec. 29 and 31. The Twenty20 World Cup takes place in the West Indies and United States in June.

Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.