Black Caps Test captain Tim Southee will have a busy few months ahead. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Nine Test matches in three months is a rare schedule for the Black Caps but red ball captain Tim Southee is embracing the challenge.
The seam bowler is aware that his personal contribution needs to improve if New Zealand are to make the most of the run of games in the longest format which begins with a one-off Test against Afghanistan in India on Monday (9 September NZT).
"I know I wasn't at my best towards the end of the summer the cricket I've played since then [in the Hundred] has been pretty good," Southee said as he prepared to fly out of Auckland.
"If you look at it as a whole six Test matches in the subcontinent it's exciting it's something we haven't done in my time anyway, it's an exciting place to go and a great challenge for the side."
Following the Afghanistan match is two Tests against Sri Lanka, three against India and three against England.
New Zealand last played an international game three months ago as their T20 World Cup campaign ended during the group stage. Since then some players have played in overseas competitions and others have taken part in training camps in New Zealand.
Southee, 35, was confident his body was in a good place heading into the packed Test schedule.
After 16 years on the New Zealand Cricket central contract list Southee said he remained committed and was not following some of his team mates who had opted out of central contracts for overseas opportunities or casual Black Caps contracts.
"There's plenty of offers out there there's other things that I guess weren't around years ago but at the moment it's to concentrate on playing for New Zealand and giving that everything at the moment," he said of his personal situation.
"The guys that are stepping on this plane [for the upcoming Tests] are as committed as guys with contracts so I guess it's just the changing landscape of international cricket and cricket around the world so it's a situation that New Zealand Cricket are working [on] closely with the players."
Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz (R) celebrate his team's win of the ICC men's Twenty20 World Cup 2024 Super Eight cricket match between Afghanistan and Australia at Arnos Vale Stadium in Arnos Vale, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on June 22, 2024. (Photo by Randy Brooks / AFP) Photo: RANDY BROOKS/AFP
That any players were getting on a plane for the Afghanistan Test came against the backdrop of New Zealand Cricket's decision not to follow Cricket Australia's stance of boycotting matches due to Afghanistan's treatment of women.
Australia has pulled out of matches with Afghanistan three times in recent years. It cancelled a one-off test scheduled for Hobart in 2021, last year it withdrew from a three-match ODI series due to be played in UAE and in March this year it pulled out of a T20 series.
Southee said the New Zealand playing group had not discussed the situation of playing against Afghanistan.
"As players we've just had to buy into that it's a decision that New Zealand Cricket has made."
Afghanistan were an improving side, Southee said.
"They're still new to the red ball format but we've seen in the other formats what a side they can be ... they've had some great success in the other two formats and I'm sure as a country they want to have success in the longer format as well.
"We've seen in the other formats that's been their strength is their bowling unit in particular their spinners but they've got some dangerous batters as well."
As for the make up of his own playing 11 Southee believed the New Zealand spinners would feature but the team would change as they moved between venues in India and Sri Lanka over the six Tests in the region.