NZ name world's best for T20 tri-series

New Zealand's big hitting left-hander Colin Munro has been named in the Black Caps T20 squad for next month's trans-Tasman tri-series opener.

Munro is the world's top-ranked T20 international batsman but was injured for the Black Caps' series decider against Pakistan on Sunday, which New Zealand lost. That defeat to Pakistan saw the Black Caps surrender their world No.1 T20 ranking, which Pakistan claimed.

The opener has scored 41 per cent of the Black Caps' T20 runs this summer, even after only making one in Thursday night's loss at Eden Park. 

The Black Caps also boast the world's No.1 ranked T20 international bowler in Ish Sodhi, who was surprisingly overlooked at the Indian Premier League auction over the weekend.

Munro was snapped up by the Ricky Ponting-coached Delhi Daredevils in the IPL auction for A$370,000 after a three-way tug-of-war with Mumbai and Rajasthan.

The Black Caps have only confirmed a squad for the first match of the Gillette T20 INTL series, where they face Australia at the SCG on February 3.

With a 10-day break before their second game, against England on February 13, NZ will reassess their options.

On Sunday, New Zealand slipped a second straight T20 defeat against Pakistan to surrender the series 2-1, limping to 6-163 chasing Pakistan’s 6-181.

That defeat followed a 48-run loss in the second T20, which had ended a 13-match winning streak across all formats, and put a dampener on New Zealand's preparation for the tri-series.

Munro became the first player to score three hundreds in T20 internationals when he hit 104 against the West Indies in early January. Brendon McCullum, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle have all scored two.

He was moved up the order to open for the Black Caps towards the end of 2017, and responded with a career-high 109 against India in November. He passed fifty twice before his record-breaking third T20 century in three matches against the West Indies, when he and fellow opener Martin Guptill put on 136 for the first wicket.

Australia have named a squad featuring a host of stars from the KFC Big Bash League with the looming Test tour of South Africa impeding a full-strength team.

Australia's T20I squad boasts some of the country's most powerful batsmen, headlined by Brisbane Heat master blaster Chris Lynn, Melbourne Stars pair Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, and Hobart Hurricanes' D'Arcy Short.

Australia host the first leg of the T20I tri-series, opening against NZ at the SCG on February 3 then facing England at Blundstone Arena and the MCG on February 7 and 10, respectively.

The series then travels across the Tasman Sea, where Australia will take on the Black Caps at Eden Park on February 16 before the tournament final at the same venue four days later.

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Anaru Kitchen, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler.

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

Australia squad: David Warner (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

England squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood.

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Anaru Kitchen, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler. 

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final TBC, Eden Park, February 21