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.
The Chennai Super Kings favor Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra as their opening lineup for the IPL season since they both play for the team. The 31-year-old cricket player scored 749 runs in 14 Plunket Shield games followed by 320 runs from 9 Ford Trophy matches. During the competition Kelly achieved an average of 58.00 points by hitting four hundred runs.
The batting lineup includes Abbas who plays as the middle-order batsman along with his successful domestic season. New Zealand U-19 coaches almost selected Abbas as their next ODI World Cup candidate alongside the team’s talented outfield players leading up to 2022. The Kiwis have established their batting strength for the home series through its key players Will Young, Nathan Smith and Daryl Mitchell.
O’Rourke to lead pace attack
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.
New Zealand ODI squad for NZ vs PAK 2025
Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young, Nick Kelly, Daryl Mitchell, Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, and Tom Latham (captain, wk)
