Black Caps leave door ajar for master blaster’s World Cup comeback

By Alex Powell

Even after rejecting the chance for a Black Caps return to tour Pakistan next month, Colin Munro remains a possibility of ending his international exile to play at this year’s Twenty20 World Cup.

With 12 first team players unavailable for the tour of Pakistan, short-form specialist Munro turned down the chance to play for New Zealand again.

Now 37, Munro hasn’t played for New Zealand since the end of 2020, but has no shortage of demand for his services as a T20 gun for hire around the world.

Since losing his New Zealand central contract in 2020, Munro has plied his trade in Australia, England, Pakistan, the UAE, West Indies and even Canada.

In 2021, after missing selection for the Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE, Munro posted on social media that he “may have played my last game for [the Black Caps], not by choice”.

All up, Munro has played a whopping 428 T20 matches, and scored 10,961 runs at an average of just over 30, with five centuries and 67 fifties.

At international level, he was the first player to score three T20 centuries, and was a key part in the Black Caps side that reached the status of world No 1 in 2016.

Most recently, Munro was part of the champion Brisbane Heat side that won the Australian Big Bash League earlier this year, and scored 224 runs at just over 37 before he left to play in the UAE’s International League T20.

But, while Munro spurned the chance to end a four-year absence from the Black Caps, national selection manager Sam Wells said there is still a possibility he could return for this year’s World Cup.

“We got in touch with Colin,” said Wells. “He’s obviously been in fine form for the last few years in various competitions around the world.

“In particular, [he] has an excellent record in the Caribbean Premier League.

“He made himself unavailable for this tour, but he’s potentially still an option [for the World Cup].

“I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to work out our top order is relatively settled. But if anything happened with injuries and whatnot, he’s still an option for us.”

Given the World Cup will be hosted in the West Indies and United States, Munro’s knowledge of the Caribbean could prove invaluable.

Across stints with both the St Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders, Munro has played 65 matches in the Caribbean Premier League. In that time, he’s scored 1971 runs at 35.83, with one century and 12 fifties.

While Munro won’t be there, the squad to travel to Pakistan is light on experience regardless.

Michael Bracewell will captain the side on his return from an Achilles injury, while Wellington’s Tim Robinson has the chance to debut after a breakout season with the Firebirds.

But while first-time captain Bracewell would have liked to have had an option like Munro to call on in Pakistan, there is understanding over his decision to decline New Zealand Cricket’s advances.

“He’s obviously a great player,” said Bracewell. “It’s always nice to have someone like his experience around.

“But as I say, I’m not a selector. I don’t know how those conversations went.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission