Jamieson, newbies in focus as NZ switch to T20Is with eye on ODI World Cup

Kyle Jamieson is finally back

After having recovered from back surgery, fast-bowling allrounder Kyle Jamieson is set to play his first international game in more than a year and first T20I since March 2021. With Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, and Blair Tickner all not part of the UAE series, this is Jamieson's opportunity to prove his fitness and be the enforcer in the attack.

Jamieson's tall frame and propensity to generate extra bounce has been a point of difference for New Zealand's attack in Test cricket and ODIs, but he is yet to crack the shortest format. He has played eight T20Is so far, conceding almost ten runs an over. Can he remedy those numbers and fare better in what will be his first white-ball international away from home?

NZ's next gen is here

Auckland legspinner Adithya Ashok and South Africa-born Otago batter Dean Foxcroft are the new faces in New Zealand's squad for the three-match T20I series in the UAE.

Ashok, 20, has played only 15 List A and 19 T20 games so far, but he has already been earmarked to become a future star for New Zealand. Ashok has a big-turning wrong'un in his repertoire and will slot in straight for senior legspinner Ish Sodhi, who is currently with Trent Rockets in the Hundred. Having recently played club cricket for Colchester & EECC in Essex, Ashok will have to quickly adjust to the Dubai conditions, where dew is usually a major factor.

"I still don't think it has sunk in," Ashok told NZC media in the lead-up to his potential debut. "It's slowly sinking in…things like getting my kit and training - that's when it starts to feel a bit more real. It's a kid-in-the-candy-store type vibe and it was really cool, special moment for me. Also being away from home and things like that it's pretty cool to go on a journey where it's not like it's quite expected as well, so the surprise is really pleasant."

Foxcroft, 25, had thought that his New Zealand career was over when he was locked out of the country when Covid-19 hit. What was supposed to be a six-week visit to South Africa eventually turned out to be a frustrating two-year-long stay because of the pandemic. Foxcroft is now on the brink of making his long-awaited international debut for New Zealand after having dominated the most recent Super Smash T20 tournament with his big-hitting and quickish offspin. Foxcroft has also had T20 - and T10 - exposure outside of New Zealand, with stints in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Oman D10 league.

Chapman's chance to push his WC case

The last time Mark Chapman batted for New Zealand in a T20I, he played a blinder in Rawalpindi, his 57-ball 104 forming the centerpiece of a successful chase of 194 against an attack that included Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan. That innings put Chapman in New Zealand's ODI World Cup frame. With Kane Williamson unlikely to start the World Cup for New Zealand, a batting spot is up for grabs. If Chapman produces similar powerful performances in the UAE and the UK, he could be a contender for that slot in India.

UAE are a familiar opponent for Chapman. Overall, he has played six matches against them - all for Hong Kong - scoring 336 runs, including an unbeaten 124 in Dubai in 2015.

More international exposure for UAE

It's not often that UAE get to host two Full-Member nations in a span of two months. After making West Indies work hard for their 3-0 ODI series win in June earlier this year, UAE are gearing up for the New Zealand challenge with some new faces as well as old ones.

Allrounder Mohammed Faraazuddin and left-arm fingerspinner Jash Giyanani are the two newbies in the side, with the selectors rewarding them for their good performances for the A team in the ACC Men's Emerging Cup in Sri Lanka. But there is no room for legspinner Karthik Meiyappan.

Fingerspin-bowling allrounder Aayan Afzal Khan and captain Muhammad Waseem, who were both in action in the recently concluded Global T20 Canada, are among the UAE players to watch out for in this series.