For the three-match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh, Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and top seamer Kyle Jamieson have been ruled out, New Zealand Cricket said on Friday.
Although included in the first roster, Williamson will require additional rehabilitation following knee surgery in April, and Jamieson is recovering from a hamstring strain, according to the Black Caps.
For the three Twenty20 matches, which begin on December 27, opener Rachin Ravindra and seamer Jacob Duffy will take their places. Williamson is replaced as the Black Caps captain by Mitchell Santner.
Williamson and Jamieson were pulled off the pitch due to medical advice, according to head coach Gary Stead, with an eye towards the Test series against South Africa and Australia in early 2024.
“We want both Kane and Kyle to be in the best possible place leading into the next block of Test cricket,” Stead stated in a statement.
“Based on discussions with the medical staff, it was decided a period of rehabilitation and conditioning was the best option for both.”
According to a Black Caps spokeswoman who spoke to AFP, Williamson is anticipated to make a comeback for the T20 home series against Pakistan in January, which Jamieson will also miss.
Before Saturday’s third one-day international (ODI) in Napier, New Zealand completed the sweep of the one-day international series against Bangladesh by winning both of its previous games.