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Cricket Australia (CA) on Friday, February 9 named a 14-member squad for the upcoming Test tour of New Zealand. The Pat Cummins-led side will commence their tour of New Zealand, starting February 21, playing three T20Is followed by two-match Test series after an eight-year wait.
While the side will be led by WTC 2023 winning captain Pat Cummins, the team will also see the return of Michael Neser. However, Neser and Scott Boland have been picked as backups for the legendary pace trio consisting of Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
Moreover, Neser’s inclusion in the side comes seeing the expected seam-friendly conditions during the Trans-Tasman tour. Speaking at the squad selection, national selector George Bailey hailed “ever-consistent performances” to be the reason of Neser’s inclusion. “It’s great to see Michael Neser get another opportunity in the squad following his ever-consistent performances over a long period of time and the conditions we expect.”
The Queensland all-rounder has played only two Tests, both of which have come in Adelaide after skipper Pat Cummins’ absence. However, he has been a regular in the longest format for the Test champions from 2019 to 2022.
Australia’s Test squad for New Zealand series:
Pat Cummins (C), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steven Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc.
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