New Zealand have drafted Michael Bracewell into the squad for this week’s first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, filling the spot left vacant by Glenn Phillips’ groin strain.
Phillips picked up the injury during the MLC final with Washington Freedom on 13 July and was ruled out of both matches. That blow left head coach Rob Walter short of a middle-order all-rounder, and, with Bracewell already in Harare for the T20 tri-series, the switch made sense.
“Glenn’s injury provided a gap in the Test squad and Michael is the closest like-for-like replacement,” Walter explained. “His experience and skillset will be a great asset and allows us to keep the same balance of the team.”
Bracewell had originally excused himself from the tour because of The Hundred, where he is due to turn out for Southern Brave. But the calendar opens just enough space for him to play the opening Test before he heads back to the UK. New Zealand Cricket say a decision on a replacement for the second match will be taken once the Bulawayo game is completed.
For New Zealand it is a rare red-ball trip to Zimbabwe, their first since 2016. Several of the squad, including captain Tim Southee, have said they are keen to adjust quickly from white-ball rhythms to Test tempo on a surface that can be slow and low.
Local observers expect spin to play a part, which could bring Bracewell’s off-breaks into the game as much as his lower-order batting. Either way, the 33-year-old gets an unexpected chance to add to his eight Test caps, while Phillips faces a short rehabilitation period before re-joining the tour of Bangladesh later in the year.
