Southee to captain New Zealand T20 side

Saturday, 5 January 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

WELLINGTON, AFP: Tim Southee was named Friday to captain New Zealand in next week’s one-off Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka.

Regular skipper Kane Williamson is to be rested along with Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme.

Southee, who has captained New Zealand twice before, admitted that leading a side in cricket’s shortest form can be a bit of a gamble. “It’s about trying to stay a step ahead of the game and a little bit of guessing,” he said.

“The way T20 cricket goes, it’s (about) trying to take a bit of a punt on what you think is going to happen.”

All-rounder Jimmy Neesham and opener Martin Guptill, who starred when New Zealand won the first One-Day International on Thursday, are also in the Twenty20 squad. New Zealand: Tim Southee (capt), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, and Ross Taylor.