Afghanistan vs New Zealand, One-Off Test Day 2, Live Updates© AFP

File image of Rahmat Shah.© AFP

File photo of Virat Kohli© AFP

New Zealand cricket is increasingly grappling with the club vs country dilemma, as more high-profile players choose to opt out of central contracts. With the team gearing up for a challenging stretch of nine Test matches in the coming months, Test captain Tim Southee has acknowledged the issue, attributing it to the “changing landscape of international cricket.” Southee expressed optimism that cricket boards and franchise leagues could find a way to “work together” to address the situation.

As New Zealand prepares to head to India for a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, he mentioned that his country’s cricket board is “working hard to find the best solution for both sides.”

“There are plenty of offers out there that weren’t around years ago,” Southee said as per quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“But yeah, at the moment it’s concentrate on playing for New Zealand and giving that everything at the moment,” he added.

“We’ve seen a number of guys who haven’t taken contracts, guys that are sitting on this plane with guys with contracts,” he said.

In recent months, several key players, including Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, and Adam Milne, have declined central contracts.

Among them, Williamson remains part of the squad for the upcoming Test against Afghanistan. This Test marks the beginning of a series of six matches in the subcontinent, with two more Tests in Sri Lanka and another two in India to follow. After these overseas fixtures, New Zealand will return home to host England in November-December.

“If you look at it as a whole – six Test matches in the subcontinent – it’s exciting,” he said as per quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“It’s probably something we haven’t done, in my time anyway. It’s a great challenge for the side,” he added.

Southee also praised the Afghanistan side, recently they were beaten by the Afghans in the T2O World Cup by 84 runs.

“They are still new to the red-ball format, but we’ve seen in the other formats what a side they can be,” he said.

“Just recently in the T20 World Cup, last year in the one-day World Cup [where Afghanistan finished sixth], they are an improving side. They’ve had great success in those two formats, and I am sure as a country they want to have success in the longer format as well,” Southee noted.

“Every time we have come up against them in a world event in the last five or six years, we know they are an improving side and a dangerous side. Especially in their part of the world. We just saw them making the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, a couple of upsets last year, and the one-day World Cup as well. So we know they are a very good side in those conditions,” Southee said.

The Kiwis will be playing six Tests in the subcontinent, which could mean that the quick bowlers taking a backseat at times and the spinners taking centre stage.

New Zealand have some quality left arm spinners like Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner, and the off-spin of Michael Bracewell, to go with the part-time off-spin of Glenn Phillips.

Southee knows that the Afghanistan spinners could be a serious threat in Asia.

“That part of the world, spin is going to play a big part. They’ve got some quality spinners, mixed in with some quality quicks as well,” Southee said.

“We’ve seen in other formats that’s been their strength, their bowling unit, particularly their spinners. It’s going to be an exciting challenge,” he noted.

“…. We have the options. We have guys that can bowl spin, off-spin, left-arm spin, so we’ve got a good mix, mixed in with some quality pace as well. It’s exciting for all the spinners. We were in Bangladesh last year, so as a spin bowler, I’m sure you’re looking forward to this challenge,” he added.

New Zealand will be play one Test against Afghanistan from September 9 to 13, after that they will travel to Sri Lanka before returning to India.

Kane Williamson said the intention to play in next year’s SA20 was the catalyst behind him declining the New Zealand central contract, but reaffirmed his commitment to play for his country in all three formats outside of the T20 league. The SA20 is scheduled between January 9 and February 8, 2025, which clashes with the dates of the Super Smash in New Zealand. As per NZ rules, a player has to play in Super Smash if they are not on an international assignment to be eligible for a central contract.

“I want to play as long as I can. There’s a number of great competitions during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting. Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract,” Williamson told reporters upon his arrival in New Zealand from the T20 World Cup, where his side failed to enter the Super Eight stage.

Consequently, Williamson had also stepped down from the Kiwis’ captaincy in white-ball formats but the elegant right-hander insisted that his international career was far from over.

“My priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. Think I might miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period,” he added.

It meant that Williamson would miss the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka in January next year.

But he will be available for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September, besides the WTC matches against India and Sri Lanka away and the three-match series against England at home.

“It’s simply the contract, the rules that currently exist meant I wasn’t able to have one but in terms of playing for New Zealand I’m not missing almost any cricket really, so that was important to me,” he said.

Williamson said he was eagerly waiting to see how the leadership role of New Zealand evolves in white ball formats.

“I’ve really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it’s been a privilege and an honour to do that for a number of years.

“I’m excited with what’s next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that,” he added.

The 33-year-old also did not attach any time-frame to his career, saying he was taking it one year at a time.

“In terms of a timeframe, it’s difficult to say. I want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, keep trying to improve. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect.

“But being part of this team is so dear to me and I want to remain in that community as long as I can, and as long as I’m offering value,” he said.

Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan rarely minces his words, and it was no different as he suggested that New Zealand stalwart Kane Williamson will never be a player who can bat at an explosive strike rate. The critique comes after New Zealand bowed out of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the group stage. Williamson scored just 28 runs in the tournament, at a strike rate of 87.50, and gave up captaincy following New Zealand’s exit. Michael Vaughan has now advised Williamson to take inspiration from one of his contemporaries, Virat Kohli, on how to remodel his T20 game.

“Look at Virat Kohli in IPL 2024. He went from the Virat in previous years to the modern 2024 player by going for it, being expansive, particularly against spin. It was tremendous to see,” said Vaughan, speaking on Cricbuzz.

“Kane Williamson will never be a batter who strikes at 200. If he can up his strike rate by 15-20 per cent, and get to a strike rate of 140-150, he would be the glue for New Zealand and whatever franchise he plays for,” said Vaughan.

Kohli, at the age of 35, piled up 741 runs at a strike rate of 154 in IPL 2024, winning his second Orange Cap in the process.

Williamson is no stranger to the Orange Cap either, having won it in 2018, when he smashed 735 runs at a strike rate of 142. However, six years on, Williamson’s offensive game seems to be on the decline.

However, Williamson’s New Zealand future in T20Is is up in the air. The 33-year-old quit captaincy and declined a central contract, hinting at overseas priorities and wanting to spend more time with his family.

Failure to qualify for the Super 8 means that New Zealand is also not guaranteed direct qualification to the 2024 T20 World Cup.

New Zealand batter Kane Williamson declined the central contract for the 2024-25 year but emphasised his long-term commitment to the Blackcaps. New Zealand Cricket on Wednesday released a statement to confirm that the veteran batter opted out of the central contract for the 2024-25 season. Speculations were building around Williamson’s future after New Zealand suffered a heartbreak following an early exit in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

With 358 appearances for the Kiwis in his decorated career, the 33-year-old opted out of the contract list and white-ball captaincy in a bid to extend his international career.

“Helping push the team forward across the formats is something I’m very passionate about and something I want to keep contributing towards. However, pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means I’m unable to accept a central contract offer,” Williamson said as quoted from a statement by New Zealand Cricket.

New Zealand’s schedule for the 2024-25 season won’t be hectic as the Kiwis have minimal bilateral series commitments till the January window.

But Williamson will remain available for the eight World Test Championship matches that New Zealand will engage in in a bid to once again play in the final, which will be played next year at the Lord’s in June.

In November end, New Zealand will play the first Test of the three-match series against England on home soil.

But before they embark on their WTC journey, Williamson is pleased to find a way to balance his personal and professional life as he continues to strive to play for his nation.

“Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished. My life outside cricket has changed however – spending more time with my family and enjoying experiences with them at home or abroad is something that’s even more important to me,” he added.

NZC CEO Scott Weenink acknowledged Williamson’s contributions and feels that their experienced star had earned the right to take some time off to pursue other goals, which included family-oriented priorities.

“This is a good way to help keep Kane in the international game so that he continues to play a major role for the BLACKCAPS – both now and in the years to come. We have very little international cricket in New Zealand through January, and outside that period he’s still available for the BLACKCAPS,” Weenink said.

“NZC has a strong preference to select centrally contracted players for the BLACKCAPS, however, we’re happy to make an exception for our greatest-ever batter – especially as he remains so committed to the team. I know it sounds a bit counterintuitive, but I’m very encouraged by this development,” he added.

New Zealand concluded their T20 World Cup campaign with a convincing 7-wicket win over Papua New Guinea.

Two-time champions and co-hosts West Indies are grouped with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. West Indies and New Zealand are the top-ranked teams in Group C, but will face strong resistance from Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea as they aim to make it through to the second round. West Indies will be aiming for a record third T20 World Cup title, and are in great form in the lead-up to the tournament. Uganda will make their debut on the global stage, and will look to pull off further miracles in their romantic journey.

West Indies:

A series victory against defending champions, England, towards the end of last year revealed how dangerous a full-strength West Indies side can be. Despite their lacklustre performance in the 2022 edition, the Rovman Powell-led side poses a major threat this time around.

They are well covered in all departments with several all-rounders and big-hitters, capable of swinging games. The surprise inclusion in their squad for the tournament was Shamar Joseph, uncapped in T20Is until featuring against South Africa recently, but a supreme talent in the making as he showed in Australia during the Test series at the start of the year.

West Indies also get a fairly easier start to the tournament with games against the lower-ranked teams in the group, PNG and Uganda. If they start well, the co-hosts will be favourites to top the group.

Squad:

Rovman Powell (c), Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

Fixtures:

Sun, 2 June 2024 – West Indies v Papua New Guinea, Guyana, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Sat, 8 June 2024 – West Indies v Uganda, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 12 June 2024 – West Indies v New Zealand, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – West Indies v Afghanistan, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCAL

New Zealand:

New Zealand made very little change from the 2022 edition to this one with their squad selection. It highlights the consistency in selection on the one hand, and also how well-rounded the Blackcaps unit is.

The team is also well prepared for the event with 36 T20Is under their belt since the end of the last T20 World Cup, the most among full-member teams.

The depth of talent at their disposal was evident in the recent T20I series in Pakistan, where a second-string squad managed to level the series.

Kane Williamson, who will be playing his sixth T20 World Cup, will lead a strong side that has a wealth of experience alongside the exuberance of youth in the likes of Rachin Ravindra, who sizzled with the bat in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and the exciting Finn Allen.

Veterans Trent Boult and Tim Southee will lead the pace attack, which also has Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry. There are ample options in the spin department too with Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Michael Bracewell, and Ravindra.

New Zealand open their campaign against Afghanistan in Guyana and then take on co-hosts West Indies in Trinidad.

Squad:

Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears

Fixtures:

Fri, 7 June 2024 – New Zealand v Afghanistan, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 12 June 2024 – New Zealand v West Indies, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 14 June 2024 – New Zealand v Uganda, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – New Zealand v Papua New Guinea, Trinidad, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Afghanistan:

Afghanistan are ranked 10th in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, but are more than capable of pulling off big wins.

They recorded series victories against UAE (twice), Pakistan and Ireland since the end of the last T20 World Cup and also reached the final of the Asian Games Men’s Cricket Competition, where they lost to India.

The squad is boosted by the return of Rashid Khan after the leg-spinner’s long injury layoff. He leads a versatile spin department that also has the likes of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti and veteran Mohammad Nabi.

Afghanistan begin their campaign against Uganda in Guyana on June 3.

Squad:

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik. Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi

Fixtures:

Mon, 3 June 2024 – Afghanistan v Uganda, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 7 June 2024 – Afghanistan v New Zealand, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Thur, 13 June 2024 – Afghanistan v Papua New Guinea, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – Afghanistan v West Indies, St. Lucia, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Uganda:

Uganda secured a spot in the T20 World Cup by comfortably defeating Rwanda in their last match of the Africa region qualifier. With five wins in six games, Uganda was the standout team alongside Namibia in the Africa Qualifier as they sealed their berth in the mega event.

Uganda have a stellar record leading up to the tournament with 41 wins in their last 49 T20Is, a win percentage of 83.67 per cent.

Led by Brian Masaba, Uganda will feature in the tournament with plenty of experience in the squad. The 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga aside, the squad also features Alpesh Ramjani, who was one of the nominees for the 2023 ICC Men’s T20I cricketer of the Year.

Uganda play their first three games in Guyana and have the opportunity to spring a surprise from Group C.

Squad:

Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel. Travelling Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya

Fixtures:

Mon, 3 June 2024 – Uganda v Afghanistan, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Wed, 5 June 2024 – Uganda v Papua New Guinea, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Sat, 8 June 2024 – Uganda v West Indies, Guyana, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Fri, 14 June 2024 – Uganda v New Zealand, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Papua New Guinea:

Like Uganda, PNG come into the tournament with an impeccable record of 14 wins in their last 18 games. They are led by the enterprising Assad Vala, PNG are set to appear for the second time at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Papua New Guinea maintained an unbeaten record in the qualifiers, winning six consecutive matches.

With plenty of all-rounders in the squad, PNG have a versatile unit that can test the bigger teams in the group.

Papua New Guinea kicks off its campaign with a challenging opening match against the host nation, West Indies, on June 2. They then face Uganda on June 5, followed by matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand.

Squad:

Assadollah Vala (c), Alei Nao, Chad Soper, CJ Amini, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Vagi Morea, Kipling Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Sema Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony Ura

Fixtures:

Sun, 2 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v West Indies, Guyana, 10:30 AM LOCAL

Wed, 5 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v Uganda, Guyana, 07:30 PM LOCAL

Thur, 13 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v Afghanistan, Trinidad, 08:30 PM LOCAL

Mon, 17 June 2024 – Papua New Guinea v New Zealand, Trinidad, 10:30 AM LOCAL