The Cricketer runs through all the key information ahead of the three-match T20I series between West Indies and New Zealand
West Indies will host New Zealand in three T20I matches this August. These fixtures will act as preparation for the T20 World Cup in Australia which begins on Sunday, October 16.
The first match will take place on Wednesday, August 10 and the series will span over four days. The second match will be played two days later on Friday, August 12 and the final match on Sunday, August 14.
All matches are scheduled to start at 6.30pm GMT.
All three matches will be played at Sabina Park, Jamaica. This ground is stunning for a spectator, as the spectacular Blue Mountains form a beautiful backdrop to the north facing the George Headley Stand, with Kingston Harbour to the south.
West Indies will have the same squad against New Zealand as they did for five T20I matches against India. Captain Nicholas Pooran featured in every match, alongside Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder and Obed McCoy. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph only missed out on the last fixture, while allrounder Dominic Drakes made an appearance in the last three games.
Big misses for the Windies include left-arm fast-bowler Sheldon Cottrell who is still recovering from an injury and will miss the series. Allrounder Fabian Allen has asked selectors not to consider him, citing personal reasons.
Kane Williamson is back for New Zealand (Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images)
On the other hand, it is a full strength squad for New Zealand for their white-ball tour of West Indies. A total of six senior players, including captain Kane Williamson, are returning to the team after being rested during their extensive tour of Europe. Joining their skipper is Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Tim Southee, Tom Latham and Matt Henry. This will be Williamson's first T20I since his team lost to Australia in the final of last year's T20 World Cup.
The return of the senior six means there will be no place in the squad for Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Jacob Duffy, Michael Rippon, Ben Sears and Blair Tickner, who have all been involved during the white-ball tours of Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. Adam Milne, who was ruled out of the European tour with an Achilles injury, after being originally selected in both white-ball squads, will not make an appearance in the series.
West Indies have been struggling to find rhythm recently in their T20 side, suffering a 4-1 loss against India. The main issue lies in their batting, as West Indies lost three times when they bowled first, meaning they failed to reach the target set by their opponents.
India's Suryakumar Yadav dominated the series with the bat, top-scoring with 135 runs, with Shimron Hetmyer and Rishabh Pant tied on 115. The two star names of the batting lineup for the West Indies, Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell struggled for form as they both had averages for the series at just over 15 runs per game.
Despite poor form with the bat, West Indies have shown promise with the ball. Medium pacer Obed McCoy was the star of the show, picking up nine wickets over the course of the five matches, better than any other player in the series.
His best performance came in the second match, where he took figures of 6 for 17 in just four overs. Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder have always been reliable with the ball, picking up five wickets each, and will be looking to do the same against New Zealand.
Shimron Hetmyer is part of West Indies' squad (Randy Brooks/Getty Images)
West Indies: Nicholas Pooran (c), Rovman Powell, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Shamarh Brooks, Shimron Hetmyer, Devon Thomas, Odeon Smith, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul, Dominic Drakes, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy, Akeal Hosein, Hayden Walsh Jr
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glen Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner. Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tim Southee
Kane Williamson will be looking to bounce back, given that his last appearance for the Black Caps was a thumping Test defeat against England in what rounded off a 3-0 loss in the series. Their preparation for the series has been good, however it will take time for this squad to gel and they may not fire straight away.
The West Indies will be searching for a response to forget about their woes against India. The trick is to ensure that their batting improves and their bowlers continue to take wickets regularly, then they are at least putting themselves in the game. They have the home advantage, however New Zealand may be a little too strong for them: 2-1 New Zealand.
Viewers in the UK can watch the game live on BT Sport (Sky Channel 413).
Elsewhere in the world, the following broadcasters have rights to the series:
Caribbean: ESPN
New Zealand: Sky Sport NZ
India: FanCode
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
USA: ESPN+
Canada: ATN Cricket Plus
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.