New Zealand announce squad for Test series against West Indies:Kane Williamson returns to Test team, Blair Tickner gets a chance after 2 years

New Zealand have announced a 14-member squad for the first Test against West Indies. Kane Williamson has been included in the team for the series against West Indies, starting December 2. He did not participate in the Test series against Zimbabwe in August. Tickner returns after 2 years Fast bowler Blair Tickner has been included in the Test squad for the first time since 2023. He last played a Test against Sri Lanka in 2023. Recently, in the ODI series against England, he performed brilliantly by taking 8 wickets in just two matches. Additionally, the Kiwi team has included fast bowlers Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry and Nathan Smith. Duffy and Foulkes made significant contributions during the Zimbabwe tour. Foulkes took 9 wickets in his debut Test against Zimbabwe. Daryl Mitchell has recovered from the groin injury sustained during the ODI series against West Indies. He has also been given a place in the team. Jamieson, Phillips are not in the team Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, however, has not been selected for the first Test. He is slowly returning to red-ball cricket after recovering from his back injury, so the management has rested him for now to avoid rushing his workload. Coach happy on Williamson’s return New Zealand’s head coach Rob Walter is happy on Williamson’s return, stating that Kane’s on-field ability speaks for itself and it will be great to have his skills and leadership in the Test team. He has had some time to prepare for red-ball cricket and I know he is keen to play for Northern Districts in the second round of the Plunket Shield (New Zealand’s domestic four-day competition) before the first Test. Several players out due to injury Fast bowlers Matt Fisher (shin), Will O’Rourke (back) and Ben Sears (hamstring) were unavailable for selection due to injuries. Start of new WTC cycle The West Indies series will be New Zealand’s first series of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. New Zealand Team Tom Latham (Captain), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young