Milne, Henry Return to New Zealand Squad for T20I Tri-Series Against South Africa, Zimbabwe

Adam Milne and Matt Henry have been named in the New Zealand squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Matt Henry eyes comeback after recovering from a shoulder injury. © Getty

Bevon Jacobs, who is uncapped, will also join the 15-member squad, retaining his place after being included in the T20 series against Sri Lanka in December.

Milne's inclusion marks his return to the team since November. Henry returns after recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Ben Sears is unavailable due to injury, while Lockie Ferguson is being rested to manage his workload. Kyle Jamieson is also unavailable, awaiting the birth of his first child. Devon Conway and Mitch Hay are absent, with Tim Seifert set to take on wicket-keeping duties. Kane Williamson has also made himself unavailable for selection.

New head coach Rob Walter said: "I think we've got a really strong squad for this tour and I'm looking forward to getting the team together and getting into the work. We've got some good experience in the side and it's nice to be able to welcome back a few of the players who missed the March series against Pakistan because of the IPL."

He added: "It should be a great T20 Tri Series with South Africa who are a very strong side and Zimbabwe who play well at home in their own conditions."

Walter highlighted the opportunity for Jacobs to gain experience and emphasized the importance of Milne's experience, especially with other pacers unavailable.

"Bevon's been an outstanding performer in domestic cricket and has gained some experience in franchise leagues around the world, so it'll be a good chance for him to get back into the squad and potentially play," Walter said.

"Adam's a really skilled T20 bowler, he's particularly proficient with the ball up front and brings that extra pace and bounce. With the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears and Kyle Jamieson out it's great to be able to lean on an experienced head in Adam," he added.

Walter stressed the significance of the tri-series in preparing for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

"With the T20 World Cup around the corner, all of our upcoming series are critically important to our build up. This series gives us the opportunity to test the breadth of our squad, explore different players and potentially different combinations against some quality opposition," he said.

The New Zealand squad is as follows:

Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchel, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi