Jimmy Neesham withdrawn from New Zealand T20I squad for England tour

New Zealand has been dealt a crucial blow with the withdrawal of veteran all-rounder Jimmy Neesham ahead of their 4-match T20I series against England, starting in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, August 30.

Neesham was due to join the squad following his stint with the Oval Invincibles in The Hundred Men's Competition. However, the 32-year-old will return home to be with his wife for the birth of his first child.

Earlier, the all-rounder was left out of the ODI series that follows the T20Is, citing the same reason. The Black Caps were forced into a similar change for the UAE T20Is that recently concluded, with Jacob Duffy replacing Blair Tickner in the instance.

Neesham is coming off a heroic performance in the final of The Hundred, scoring a brilliant 33-ball 57 to help the Invincibles clinch the title by 14 runs.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has fully supported Neesham's decision to return home.

"The birth of a child is a special time and we are a family environment. We are glad to be able to support Jimmy in heading home," said Stead. (via icc-cricket.com)

Spin-bowling all-rounder Cole McConchie will replace Neesham in the 15-man T20I squad to face England. McConchie was part of the side that beat UAE 2-1 and scored 40 runs in two matches, with 31* as his highest score.

"Cole has impressed us this year when he’s been given opportunities in international cricket and offers any squad options with bat and bowl while also being a strong fielder," added Stead.

The 31-year-old has played nine T20Is and three ODIs for New Zealand and picked up seven wickets in the shortest format while scoring his lone half-century in the 50-over arena.

Meanwhile, Neesham has played over 140 white-ball games for New Zealand and was a vital part of their dramatic final loss in the 2019 ODI World Cup and 2021 T20 World Cup.

The experienced Tim Southee will lead the side in the T20I series, while Tom Latham will be the skipper in the ODIs to follow against England.

Following their four T20Is, the Kiwis will play as many ODIs against the defending champions in an ideal preparation for the 50-over World Cup in India, starting October 5.

New Zealand take on England in a mouth-watering rematch of the 2019 final to kickstart the World Cup.

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New Zealand T20I squad to face England

Tim Southee (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi