WELLINGTON: Mitch­ell Santner and Devon Conway will play a limited role in New Zealand’s Twenty20 Inter­n­ational series against South Africa to allow them some rest after playing at the recently concluded World Cup, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Wednesday.

The five-match series against the Proteas begins in Tauranga next Sunday, a week to the day after New Zealand were beaten by 96 runs in the World Cup final against India.

Captain Santner and wicket-keeper/batter Conway will play Sunday’s match and the two that follow, while paceman Lockie Ferguson will only be available for games two and three in Hamilton and Auckland next week.

Test skipper Tom Latham will replace Santner as captain and Conway in the wicket-keeper/batter role for game four in Wellington on March 22 and game five in Christchurch on March 25.

Batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly as well as spinner Jayden Lennox, who are all uncapped, have been included in the squad for the last two games.

Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert will skip the series.

Squad: Mitchell Santner, Katene Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Tom Latham, Jayden Lennox, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2026