New Zealand's cricket team has announced a new captain and a fresh-look squad for their upcoming home series against Pakistan. The five-match T20I series will kick off in Christchurch on Sunday. A week after their ICC Champions Trophy final loss, New Zealand made notable changes to their squad, as many key players are unavailable due to Indian Premier League (IPL) commitments. All-rounder Michael Bracewell has been appointed captain in the absence of Mitchell Santner, who will be representing the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. This will be Bracewell's first captaincy assignment at home, having previously led the team in an away series against Pakistan. Talking about the captaincy, Bracewell said that it was a great honour to lead the country. “It’s a great honour and a real privilege to captain your country,” Bracewell said. He also praised Santner's leadership and expressed his intention to continue building on the positive environment within the team: “Mitch Santner’s done a great job since taking over as white-ball captain and I’ll really just be trying to build on his good work and create an enjoyable environment for the guys to perform in," he added. New Zealand squad for Pakistan T20I series New Zealand had to assemble a fresh squad, as six regular players were unavailable due to IPL commitments. Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, and Rachin Ravindra are among the absentees, with Kane Williamson also declaring himself unavailable. Also Read: "Hardik Pandya Is the Most Confident Under Pressure," Says Axar Patel Ben Sears, who missed the Champions Trophy due to a hamstring injury, returns to the squad. Matt Henry, New Zealand’s highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy, is also included and will be available for the last two matches if fit. The squad features Kyle Jamieson and Will O'Rourke for the first three matches, with both set to miss the last two games due to workload management. Experienced players Finn Allen, Ish Sodhi, Jimmy Neesham, and Tim Seifert have also been named in the squad. New Zealand Squad: Jacob Duffy, Mitch Hay, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Kyle Jamieson (matches 1-3), Will O’Rourke (matches 1-3), Zak Foulkes (matches 4-5), Matt Henry (matches 4-5).