New Zealand have announced their ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of Bangladesh in April, with several key players returning from injury.
Fast bowlers Will O’Rourke, Matt Fisher and Blair Tickner are set to rejoin the national team after being cleared from injury. Meanwhile, off-spinning all-rounder Dean Foxcroft returns to the white-ball set-up for the first time since April 2024.
With regular skipper Mitchell Santner unavailable due to his commitments with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham has been named as the captain for the tour.
O’Rourke has returned from a back injury and has been included in the ODI squad, while Fisher has recovered from a shin problem to feature in the T20I squad. Tickner, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury, is on both teams.
Head coach Rob Walter expressed satisfaction with the trio’s return, highlighting their efforts during the rehab and their value to the team’s depth.
He stressed the importance of workload management and maintaining a strong bench in the modern game.
“Will, Blair and Matt have been working very hard over the past few months to get back on the park and back into qualifying and we’re delighted to welcome them back to the team,” Walter said.
“With the amount of cricket being played in the modern game, it’s important to have depth in our bowling stock. It’s great for our team to have players of this quality coming back,” he added.
It comes off the back of an impressive domestic campaign for Foxcroft, where he amassed 435 runs in 11 innings to finish as the second highest run-getter for Central Districts in the Ford Trophy.
Mohammad Abbas and Adi Ashok have been included in the ODI squad following New Zealand A’s ODI series in Sri Lanka. Both teams feature Christian Clarke and Ben Sears.
Clarke and Jayden Lennox, who were part of New Zealand’s historic series against India in January, have retained their places in the line-up for Lennox to make his T20I debut.
New Zealand is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on April 13. The first two ODIs will be played at the Sher Bangla National Stadium on April 17 and 20, before the third ODI at Chattogram on April 23.
The T20I series will begin in Chattogram, with matches on April 27 and 29, before the teams return to Dhaka for the final on May 2.
Groups:
ODI squad: Tom Latham (catch), Muhammad Abbas, Adi Ashok, Christian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly, Jaden Lennox, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner and Will.
T20I squad: Tom Latham (catch), Katen Clarke, Christian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Bevin Jacobs, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish D Sodhi and Phil.