Kane Williamson returns for West Indies Tests as New Zealand name fresh pace attack

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New Zealand have named Kane Williamson in their squad for the first Test against West Indies in Christchurch, marking his return to red-ball cricket after nearly a year. Williamson skipped the Zimbabwe series in July and hasn’t played a Test since December 2024, but he will turn out for Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield to tune up for the December 2 opener at Hagley Oval.

Along with Williamson’s comeback, New Zealand have also refreshed their pace attack. Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Blair Tickner feature in the 14-man squad, with all three in line to support Matt Henry and Nathan Smith. Daryl Mitchell, who suffered a minor groin strain during the ODI series against the West Indies, has recovered in time and is back in the squad as well. Mitchell recently replaced Rohit Sharma as the No. 1 ranked ODI batter too.

Kane Williamson boost, new-look pace unit

Foulkes and Duffy earned their spots after debuting together against Zimbabwe. Foulkes’ performance in particular stood out, as he claimed extraordinary match figures of 9 for 75, the best by a New Zealander on Test debut. Tickner, meanwhile, returns to the Test squad for the first time since March 2023, having found form in white-ball cricket over the past few months.

Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Phillips were unavailable as they continue carefully managed rehab programmes. The selectors have also kept Matt Fisher, Will O’Rourke and Ben Sears out due to existing injuries.

Head coach Rob Walter said the team is looking forward to having Williamson back in the mix. “Kane’s ability on the field speaks for itself and it will be great to have his skills as well as his leadership back in the Test group,” Walter said. He also praised the returning quicks. “Both Jacob and Blair have been around a while and know what it takes to perform at the highest level. Zak couldn’t have performed much better in his first Test.“

This series marks the beginning of New Zealand’s new World Test Championship cycle (2025–27). The West Indies, meanwhile, haven’t won a single Test yet in this cycle.

New Zealand squad for 1st Test vs West Indies

Tom Latham (capt), 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

NZ vs WI Test series schedule

  • 1st Test: New Zealand vs West Indies, Christchurch, Hagley Oval, Tue, Dec 2 – Sat, Dec 6, 3:30 AM (IST)
  • 2nd Test: New Zealand vs West Indies, Wellington, Basin Reserve, Wed, Dec 10 – Sun, Dec 14, 3:30 AM (IST)
  • 3rd Test: New Zealand vs West Indies, Mount Maunganui, Bay Oval, Thu, Dec 18 – Mon, Dec 22, 3:30 AM (IST)

The post Kane Williamson returns for West Indies Tests as New Zealand name fresh pace attack appeared first on Inside Sport India.



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