Michael Bracewell will captain New Zealand for the first time on home soil in the upcoming five-game T20I series against Pakistan. The 34-year-old all-rounder captained the white-ball tour of Pakistan in April last year and said he relished the challenge of leading the side. Seven players from the squad set to join the T20 camp in Christchurch on Friday. Pakistan series will provide an opportunity for all players to put their best foot forward and push their case for selection in the 15-player squad for next year’s T20 World Cup in India, says selector Sam Wells. The T20 squad features a mix of established and returning stars, with Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and white- ball captain Mitchell Santner unavailable with IPL commitments. Matt Henry, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the tournament despite missing the final through injury, has been selected for games four and five, subject to further assessment once the ODI squad arrives home on Wednesday. Ish Sodhi has been recalled after missing the recent home series against Sri Lanka, while Ben Sears has recovered from the torn hamstring which forced him to return home on the eve of the Champions Trophy last month. Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke have been included for only the first three games of the series only, as the selectors seek to manage the workloads of the pace-bowlers returning from Champions Trophy. Tim Robinson continues his run at the top of the T 20 order, while pace-bowler Zak Foulkes (games 4 and 5) and wickets-keeper Mitch Hay retain their spots in the squad after impressing in the recent series.