Key Points

Bracewell was initially unavailable for the series due to his commitments with The Hundred. He was named in the squad for the first Test after his schedule allowed him to be available for the series opener. Bracewell is in Zimbabwe as part of New Zealand's T20I tri-series.

Phillips was ruled out of the Tri-series and the two Tests after he suffered a right groin injury during the final of the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 earlier this month. After the first Test, Bracewell will leave Zimbabwe and join the Southern Brave ahead of their first game.

"Glenn's injury provided a gap in the Test squad, and Michael is the closest like-for-like replacement. Michael's experience and skillset will be a great asset and allows us to keep the same balance of the team," Blackcaps head coach Rob Walter said in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket.

"Given he's here with the T20 squad and his availability aligned for the first Test, we're using the opportunity to include him in the squad. We'll get through the first Test and then we'll make a decision whether we'll replace him for the second Test," he concluded.

After Phillips was confirmed to miss New Zealand's ongoing tour of Zimbabwe, Walter reflected on the impact of his absence and had said, "It's obviously disappointing to lose someone of Glenn's calibre. Much like Finn (Allen), we really feel for Glenn and that he misses out on this series.

"We know he was eager to get out on the field for the Black Caps, and unfortunately, he won't be able to do that for this series. We know he'll work hard to get himself back onto the park, and I look forward to when that happens," Walter added.

- ANI