WELLINGTON: Experienced players Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson were on Sunday called up to an experienced New Zealand team to contest the ICC Champions Trophy one-day tournament.
The key trio were unavailable for the just-concluded home ODI series against Sri Lanka due to offshore T20 commitments.
Batsmen Williamson and Conway have been playing in South Africa’s T20 league, while bowler Ferguson is involved in Australia’s Big Bash competition.
Ben Sears was also selected for the ICC tournament jointly hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, after missing the 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka with a knee injury.
It will be the first senior ICC event for Sears and fellow bowlers Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith. Matt Henry will lead the New Zealand attack following the international retirements of stalwarts Trent Boult and Tim Southee, with Lockie Ferguson forming a five-strong battery.
Coach Gary Stead will oversee a team he said also had experience and depth.
“We currently have a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions,” Stead said. “We have opted for the equipment that will offer us the best options to perform well in the expected conditions in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.”
Bowler Mitchell Santner will lead New Zealand in a major event for the first time after being named full-time white-ball captain in December.
Santner, former captain Williamson and goalkeeper Tom Latham were part of the New Zealand squad for the last edition of the Champions Trophy, in England and Wales in 2017.
New Zealand will play warm-up matches against Pakistan, South Africa and Afghanistan in Karachi before playing the opening match of the tournament against Pakistan in Karachi on February 19, followed by group matches against Bangladesh and India.
Team: Mitchell Santner (captain), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Will O’ Rourke.
Published in Amanecer, January 13, 2025.
