Tom Latham was named captain of New Zealand’s side for the forthcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan. Notably, Mitchell Santner, the full-time captain, was unable to play in the series because he is now playing for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League 2025. Kane Williamson, the team’s standout hitter, is another important name that is available, although he has chosen not to be considered for personal reasons.
The newcomers, Nick Kelly and Muhammad Abbas, have earned their first-ever calls up to the BlackCaps team. Due to their outstanding performances throughout the previous domestic season, the pair was given their spot in the squad.
Given that Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra are both playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Kelly and Will Young may be considered the team’s favoured openers. In addition to his 749 runs from 14 innings in the Plunket Shield event, the 31-year-old batsman had amassed 320 runs from nine games in the Ford Trophy. Throughout the competition, Kelly averaged about 58.00, including four hundreds.
Abbas, on the other hand, is a middle-order hitter who has had a successful domestic campaign. One of the most gifted young players, he was also considered for the 2022 ODI World Cup with New Zealand’s U-19 squad. With players like Will Young, Nathan Smith, and Daryl Mitchell, the Kiwis have a strong batting attack for the home series.
Pace onslaught to be led by O’Rourke
In terms of bowling, Will O’Rourke will spearhead the pace attack in lieu of more seasoned bowlers like Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry. Jamieson isn’t in the series because of workload management, while Henry isn’t because he’s currently healing from knee and shoulder issues.
Since Kane Williamson did not make himself available for the series, he was not considered for the selection process. He is in India, providing commentary for the 2025 Indian Premier League. After that, the cricket player would travel to Pakistan to compete in the PSL 2025.
The hosts have already faced the Men in Green in four Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) during the current multi-format series, with one more match scheduled for Wellington. The Blackcaps lead the series 3-1, and the last game is set on March 26.
ODI team for New Zealand vs. Pakistan in 2025
Nick Kelly, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young, Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, and Tom Latham (captain, week)
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