Milne, Henry Earn New Zealand Recall for T20I Tri-Series

Adam Milne and Matt Henry have secured their places in the New Zealand squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Henry is in line for comeback ever since being sidelined after the Champions Trophy. © Getty

Bevon Jacobs, the uncapped batter who featured in the T20 series against Sri Lanka last December, has also retained his spot in the 15-member squad.

Milne's inclusion marks his return to the national side since November. Henry, on the other hand, is making a comeback after a shoulder injury sidelined him following the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Several players are unavailable for selection. Ben Sears is out due to injury, Lockie Ferguson is being rested to manage his workload, and Kyle Jamieson is awaiting the birth of his first child. Devon Conway and Mitch Hay are also missing, paving the way for Tim Seifert to take on the wicket-keeping duties. In addition, Kane Williamson has made himself unavailable.

New head coach Rob Walter expressed his enthusiasm for the tour. "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 stated.

He further 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."

Walter also anticipates a competitive tri-series. "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 said.

The coach highlighted the opportunity this tour presents for Bevon Jacobs, and the importance of Adam Milne's experience, given the absence of other key pacers.

"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."

Regarding Milne, Walter commented, "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."

Walter also emphasized the significance of the tri-series in the lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup next year.

"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:

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