New Zealand To Pick Second-String Squad For Upcoming Australia Tour, Confirms Head Coach Gary Stead

New Zealand National Cricket Team head coach Gary Stead has confirmed that the team management will be picking a second-string squad for the upcoming tour of Australia.

The Black Caps will tour Australia for the limited-overs series which will begin from Sunday, January 30 to Tuesday, February 8. Just after that South Africa will tour New Zealand for two-match Test series and the series will begin on Thursday, February 17.

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New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has said that the team management will not pick any Test players in the squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia.

“I don’t think any Test players will be involved (in the Australia series),” Stead was quoted as saying to SENZ.

Gary Stead Reveals The Reason Behind Picking Second-string Squad For Australia Tour

Stead said that the decision has been taken keeping in mind the hassles of staying in bio-secure bubbles and with very little time between the series against Australia and South Africa.

“Just with the crossover and isolation at the moment, it means we’d only have two or three days in between the South Africa (Test) series as well,” he stated.

“It’s highly likely that you’ll see a side somewhat like how we selected for Bangladesh before the T20 World Cup as well when none of our T20 World Cup players toured there; it’ll be similar, but with a Test slant on it this time,” Stead further added.

Notably, ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 New Zealand played a T20I series in Bangladesh in which they fielded a second-string side and lost the series.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand tour of Australia 2022 will consist of three One Day International games and a sole T20I game. The ODI series will be played in Perth, Hobart, and Sydney and the T20I will be played in Canberra on Tuesday, February 8.

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