Before the highly anticipated two-match Test series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand, the Black Caps are hit by an injury blow in the form of Glenn Phillips. He has been ruled out of the ongoing tour of Zimbabwe because of a groin injury. But they have a replacement in front of them; that is Michael Bracewell.
Bracewell has been named as the replacement of Phillips for the first Test of the upcoming series, which is scheduled to start on July 30, 2025. The 34-year-old all-rounder is set to make a return in the format after 2023. It was Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in 2023 when he last made his appearance in the Whites. The New Zealand team management is hopeful about the inclusion of Michael Bracewell.
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He has been in the squad for the T20I Tri-Nation series, so Bracewell has gathered a good amount of knowledge about the conditions of Zimbabwe and has the potential to contribute a lot to the team’s performance. Back in 2022, the athletic cricketer made his debut in the longest format of the game. Since then, he claimed 24 wickets and 259 runs in eight matches.
“Glenn’s injury provided a gap in the Test squad, and Michael is the closest like-for-like replacement. Michael’s experience and skill set will be a great asset and allow us to keep the same balance of the team. We’ll get through the first test, and then we’ll make a decision whether we’ll replace him for the second test,” head coach Rob Walter said in a statement from New Zealand Cricket. New Zealand will step into the Queen’s Sports Club Cricket Ground, Bulawayo, as the winner of the T20I Tri-Nation series, defeating South Africa in the final encounter.
New Zealand’s squad for the first of the two-match Test series vs. Zimbabwe:
Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Nathan Smith, Will Young.
