New Zealand coach Gary Stead is optimistic about having a fully fit squad as the team prepares to depart for the Caribbean for next month’s T20 World Cup, with Finn Allen and Devon Conway making good progress in their recovery from injuries.
Explosive opener Allen was absent from last month’s T20 series in Pakistan due to a back injury, while wicketkeeper Conway underwent surgery for a thumb fracture sustained in February and has been unable to participate in any matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
“Finn Allen’s in the nets here behind us at the moment so he’s tracking along nicely,” Stead told reporters at the team’s training camp at Mount Maunganui on Thursday.
“He’s still got a little bit of pain in his back but our plan this week is to progress them up and put more intensity through his training each day.
“Devon’s over at the IPL still and he is tracking nicely. He’s been wicketkeeping and batting in the nets on a regular basis. “He’s back home at the end of the week. We’ll have a look at him early next week and make sure that that he’s good to go as well.”
New Zealand have no warm-up matches before their World Cup Group C opener against Afghanistan in Georgetown, Guyana on June 7.
Stead mentioned that the squad has been training on three different surfaces at Bay Oval to prepare for the varying conditions they will encounter in the Caribbean, and he believed that most of the squad had been playing enough cricket.
“There’s a number of guys who’ve been in the IPL for the last two months and we’ve also recently come off the tour to Pakistan,” he added.
“There’s a lot of experience in the group, who have played in the Caribbean Premier League before, so we’ll be leaning on those guys and making sure the training we get in prior to the first game gets us to where we want to be.”
New Zealand squad for the T20 World Cup
Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears.
- Finn Allen