Michael Bracewell Show removes James Neesham from New Zealand contract list, first deal

In a largely stable squad, a position has been created by the retirement of Ross Taylor, while Braswell, who was recently included in the test list for an England tour following his international debut against the Netherlands in March, effectively replaced Neesham.

Neesham, who hasn’t appeared in Test cricket since 2017, has played nine T20Is in the past 12 months, made one T20 World Cup appearance, scored 92 in seven innings with a strike rate of 135.29 and took three wickets with a saving of 8.20.

He last played in an ODI match in March 2021, scoring a mere five points against Bangladesh, and has since missed New Zealand’s only games – the three-game series against the Netherlands – due to of its IPL agreement.

However, head coach Gary Stead said the door was not closed at Neesham. After the IPL, where he has only played one game for the Rajasthan Royals so far, he will travel to England for a T20 Blast mission in Northamptonshire and can watch the upcoming New Zealand limited series until now.

“It doesn’t mean Jimmy Nisam won’t play for New Zealand again,” Stead said. “It’s the bidding process, not the selection process.”

Bracewell’s contract marks an impressive rise for him in recent months, he’s been called up in all three formats and named Super Smash Player of the Season.

“It seems like it gets harder and harder to finish the roster as the year progresses,” Stead said. “The busy international schedule means we are now inviting a wider base of talent and Michael Brasswell is a testament to the depth of that talent.

“Michael has been performing regularly on the domestic circuit for seasons now and we certainly see him as a potential international man in all three formats.

“It’s great to see Ajaz back on the list after narrowly losing it last season. His value as a red ball major is clear and we’re excited to see what role he can play in the team. testing in the future.

The New Zealand Trials team travel to England this weekend for their three rounds of trials next month. This follows a limited run against Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands and the West Indies until August.