Milne, Henry Return to Bolster New Zealand's Tri-Series Squad; Uncapped Jacobs Earns Call-Up

Bevon Jacobs, the uncapped batter, has secured his place in the New Zealand squad of 15 for the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe. He was previously part of the squad that faced Sri Lanka in December.

Matt Henry poised for a comeback after injury. © Getty

Adam Milne, the fast bowler, will join the team for the first time since November. Matt Henry is also making a return after a shoulder injury sidelined him since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Ben Sears is out due to injury. Lockie Ferguson is being rested for workload management. Kyle Jamieson is unavailable, awaiting the birth of his first child. Devon Conway and Mitch Hay are also absent, with Tim Seifert set to take the gloves. Kane Williamson is unavailable for selection.

Head coach Rob Walter said, "I think we've got a really strong squad for this tour and I'm looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work."

He added, "We've got some good experience in the side and it's nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL."

"It should be a great T20 Tri Series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions," he noted.

Walter emphasized the opportunity for Jacobs and the importance of Milne's experience, "Bevon's been an outstanding performer in domestic cricket and has gained some experience in franchise leagues around the world, so it'll be a good chance for him to get back into the squad and potentially play."

"Adam's a really skilled T20 bowler, he's particularly proficient with the ball up front and brings that extra pace and bounce. With the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson out it's great to be able to lean on an experienced head in Adam," he said.

Walter also highlighted the importance of the tri-series in preparation for next year's ICC T20 World Cup.

"With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition," he concluded.

New Zealand Squad for T20I Tri-Series:

Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchel, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi