After the West Indies series, New Zealand star bowler Jacob Duffy talked candidly about the team’s goals. After defeating the West Indies 2-0 in the three-match Test series at home, the Kiwis had a great start to the fourth World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and moved up to the No. 2 spot in the WTC 2025–27 standings.
New Zealand, who have only participated in one major series this year, will have a tough 2026 schedule that includes difficult trips of Australia and England as well as a well-known home series against India. As the club seeks to gain momentum and accomplish something exceptional in the next phase, Jacob Duffy said he anticipates playing a significant part.
“It’s fantastic; there’s a big series of Test cricket [against] India at home as well. The group is excited, and I’ve already done two and a half England tours without playing, so I believe that going over there and possibly doing that and an Australian tour as well are the pinnacles.
“Those could be the highlights of your career, particularly in the red-ball scene,” Jacob Duffy told ICC.
Jacob Duffy finished as the top international wicket-taker with 81, shattering Richard Hadlee’s long-standing record for the most Test wickets taken by a New Zealand bowler in a calendar year. In the series against the West Indies, he was also named Player of the Series. Duffy acknowledged that he had a lot of work to do, but said it had made him feel relevant and respected in the club, especially without Matt Henry.
“I don’t know, I’m simply loving my work. I suppose I don’t view things very holistically. I would like to consider it a bit of a privilege that Tommy [Tom Latham] keeps asking me to bowl the ball, even though it has been a challenging ride with all the bowlers falling down and the burden is obviously quite heavy. I’m trying to do that,” Jacob Duffy said, “because you just have to trust you to keep bowling and doing the positive stuff.
In preparation for the T20 World Cup, the Kiwis will travel to India and play three One-Day Internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals. After that, Jacob Duffy will play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2026 Indian Premier League. The red-ball schedule for New Zealand will start with a three-Test tour of England in June, then move on to a two-Test home series against India in October and November, and finish with a demanding three-Test visit of Australia.
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