For New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan, which begins on December 26, spinner Ish Sodhi, who last played a Test match four years ago, Blair Tickner, who has never played a Test, and Glenn Phillips, who has played one Test, have been selected.

The two-match series will be Tim Southee’s first task as New Zealand’s full-time Test skipper after Kane Williamson ventured down from the post prior on Thursday. Williamson won’t be captaining New Zealand for the first time since February 2016 in this series.

Tim Southee is new test caption of new Zealand

New Zealand Cricket made the announcement that Williamson was stepping down on Thursday morning, with an eye to the Test team’s tour of Pakistan.#KaneWilliamson #TestCricket #timsouthee #cricket #cricketcap👉@cricketcap57 pic.twitter.com/hAHxnDThu9

— Cricket Cap (@cricketcap57) December 15, 2022

Both Trent Boult, who no longer has a contract with New Zealand’s central team, and Kyle Jamieson, who is still recovering from a back injury, were unable to participate in the tour.

Even though Sodhi has been a regular member of New Zealand’s white-ball teams, he has only played 17 Tests since making his debut in 2013, the last of which was in November 2018 against Pakistan in the UAE. Tickner was in the Test squads for the home series against South Africa and the tour of England, but he has yet to play a game. Phillips made a half-century in the first innings of his only Test match so far against Australia at the SCG in January 2020.

“I know all three of the guys [Sodhi, Phillips, Tickner] have a real passion for the longest form of the game and are looking forward to getting into their red-ball work at the pre-tour camp in Lincoln this week. Ish has been playing international cricket for almost a decade now and we’re backing his skills and experience. Looking at the current conditions and style of play in the Pakistan and England Test series, we feel having a wrist spinner in the team will be important. ”

New Zealand coach Gary Stead said.

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“Glenn is clearly a very talented batsman and we’re excited to introduce him back into the Test squad for this tour. His ability to bowl off spin is also a plus point with the prospect of turning pitches. Blair’s been with the group for our past two-Test series and we believe he’s very much ready for Test cricket. He has genuine pace and gets good bounce which is a real asset to have in sub-continental conditions.”

he continued

Ajaz Patel, a left-arm spinner who became the third bowler to take all ten wickets in an innings during the tour of India in 2021, and Michael Bracewell, an off spinner, are New Zealand’s spin options outside of Sodhi.

New Zealand will play two Tests in Pakistan for the first time since 2003, beginning on December 26 in Karachi and ending on January 3 in Multan.

“It’s going to be a new experience and the kind of challenge that excites this group. We’ve naturally been keeping an eye on the current Test series against England, particularly the last two Tests of the series held in Multan and Karachi, where we will play.”

Stead further added.

The following white-ball tour of India and the three one-day internationals in Karachi on January 10, 12, and 14 will be skippered by Williamson. On December 19, the squads for those limited-overs series will be announced.

New Zealand Test squad for the tour of Pakistan: Tim Southee (capt), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young