Milne, Henry Earn New Zealand Recall for T20I Tri-Series; Uncapped Jacobs Included

Bevon Jacobs, the uncapped batter who participated in the three T20s against Sri Lanka in December, has secured his place in the New Zealand 15-member squad. The squad will compete in the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and hosts Zimbabwe.

Matt Henry poised for a comeback after recovering from injury. © Getty

Fast bowler Adam Milne is set to make his first appearance since November, while Matt Henry returns after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Ben Sears is sidelined due to injury. Lockie Ferguson is being rested due to workload management. Kyle Jamieson is unavailable, awaiting the birth of his first child. Devon Conway and Mitch Hay are also absent, with Tim Seifert taking on wicket-keeping duties. Kane Williamson is another notable absentee, having opted out of selection.

New head coach Rob Walter will be embarking on his first assignment with this tour. He stated, "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 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."

"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," Walter commented.

Walter emphasized the opportunity for the 23-year-old Jacobs and the importance of Adam Milne's experience, particularly with other pacers absent.

"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."

He added, "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 highlighted the significance of the tri-series in the lead-up to the next 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:

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