Lockie Ferguson to lead New Zealand for the first time as Kiwis name a second-string squad for Bangladesh ODIs
New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson will lead the national side for the very first time during the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. The 15-man second-string squad does not include several of ODI regulars like Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, and Tim Southee.
New Zealand are currently in England as part of the white-ball tour comprising four T20Is and four ODIs, which will end on September 15. Their tour of Bangladesh, divided into two parts, is scheduled to begin on September 21. The two sides will play the two Tests as part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle after the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The 15-man New Zealand squad includes a lot of young faces, who could make an impression in challenging conditions.
Mark Chapman and James Neesham were not available for selection for personal reasons. Neesham is not part of the ongoing England tour as he left for home following the 2023 Hundred for the birth of his first child. Chapman will return to New Zealand after the T20I series against England as he is also expected to become a father soon.
Kane Williamson is yet to recover from injury and will not feature in the series against Bangladesh. He is currently in a race against time to declare his fitness before the World Cup squad is announced. New Zealand are slated to play the tournament opener against England on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The second-string squad will be guided by batting coach Luke Ronchi as head coach Gary Stead will focus on World Cup preparations.
Citing the decision to send a second-string squad to Bangladesh due to the rigorous scheduling, Stead told reporters:
“We have a very full schedule between now until the end of our tour to Pakistan in April including the World Cup and the start of the new World Test Championship cycle so trying to keep players and staff fresh and ready at the right times is paramount.”
“Balancing workloads also provides opportunities and it’s exciting to have different players in the group and learning in an environment like Bangladesh. It can be a challenging place to tour and getting used to different conditions quickly will be important over the next few months,” he added.
Bangladesh are currently involved in the Asia Cup, where they lost their opening clash to Sri Lanka in Pallekele.
New Zealand ODI squad for Bangladesh
Lockie Ferguson (captain), Finn Allen, Chad Bowes, Will Young, Tom Blundell, Dean Foxcroft, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Cole McConchie, Dane Cleaver, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Trent Boult.
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