Kane Williamson, Latham, and Smith Return as New Zealand Name Squad for England ODIs
Kane Williamson is back in action for New Zealand, joining the team for the three-match ODI series against England. He is one of three players returning after injuries or illness. Williamson, who last played for the Black Caps during the Champions Trophy in March, has not featured for the national side since then as he was on a casual contract. But with this series marking the start of New Zealand’s preparations for the next Cricket World Cup, the 35-year-old was an obvious choice for the squad.
Bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith also returns after recovering from an abdominal injury he picked up during the first Test against Zimbabwe in August. Test captain Tom Latham is back too, after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Williamson, Latham, and Smith Return as New Zealand Announce ODI Squad for England
Head coach Rob Walter praised the players for their determination, saying, “Kane and Nathan have worked really hard to overcome their injuries and illness.”
"We all know what Kane means to the Black Caps - to have his skill, experience and leadership back in the group is fantastic. Nathan’s still relatively new to his international career, but he’s impressed with his all-round skills and ability in the field," Walter added.
"Tom is a great leader of this group, both on and off the field. Having his experience and someone who has been a consistent performer for the team is fantastic," Walter said.
Despite several injuries among the group of 20-25 players, New Zealand managed to assemble a quality squad. "Mohammad Abbas (ribs), Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring), were all unavailable due to injury," the NZC statement regarding injuries said.
New Zealand squad for England ODIs: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young