News24
15 Nov 2019, 01:12 GMT+10
Wellington - New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has been declared fit for the first Test against England while white-ball speedster Lockie Ferguson earned his maiden Test call-up on Friday.
The talismanic Williamson, the world's third-ranked Test batsman, sat out the recent Twenty20 series because of a nagging hip injury.
New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said the two-week break had Williamson primed to return for what will be a historic inaugural Test at his home ground of Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
"Kane's made good progress over the past fortnight and we're delighted to welcome back a player of his class and experience," Larsen said when naming a 15-man squad to face England and Australia over the next two months.
The call-up for Ferguson and the return of leg-spinner Todd Astle in place of spinners Will Somerville and Ajaz Patel are the only changes to the New Zealand squad from the recent away series against Sri Lanka.
The inclusion of Ferguson after an impressive domestic season caps a rapid rise for the quick bowler who has been a mainstay of New Zealand white-ball sides in recent years and was the second leading wicket-taker at the World Cup in England and Wales earlier this year.
"There's no doubt Lockie has been knocking on the door for a while now and we're delighted to finally bring him into the Test fold," Larsen said.
"It's well documented he has raw pace, but he also possesses a quality bowling skill set and has proved his durability."
The first Test against England starts on November 21.
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling
Get a daily dose of Australian Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Australian Herald.
More InformationDOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
JERUSALEM, Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel's success in the war with Iran could open the door to...
NEW DELHI, India: India has decided not to allow a United Nations (UN) investigator to join the investigation into the recent Air India...
BONN, Germany: Despite widespread belt-tightening across the United Nations, nearly 200 countries agreed this week to increase the...
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - , Australian Federal Police (AFP) have shut down a secret drug lab in Sydney's west and seized more than 100kg...
Bridgetown [Barbados], June 30 (ANI): Australia's talismanic batter Steve Smith has come out in defence of batting coach Michael Di...
New Delhi [India], June 30 (ANI): Cricket's fiercest competitors are back in action as Brett Lee, Chris Lynn, and Shaun Marsh lead...
Canberra [Australia], June 30 (ANI): Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, on Sunday said that she will visit Washington...
Bridgetown [Barbados], June 30 (ANI): Australia batter Steve Smith remains optimistic about recovering in time to make his return from...
The shift to clean, renewable sources of energy presents a rare opportunity for First Nations people, not only as energy users but...