Kane Williamson, who has surprised one and all with a remarkable recovery from a knee injury, will lead the 15-member New Zealand squad at the ICC Men’s World Cup to be held in India in October-November 2023. Finn Allen, Henry Nicholls, Kyle Jamieson, and Adam Milne have missed out on selection, while Trent Boult and James Neesham, both currently without central contracts, have been picked.
Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, and Glenn Phillips will be part of an ODI World Cup squad for the first time, as will Rachin Ravindra and Will Young. New Zealand finished runners-up to Australia in 2015, and lost out to England in heartbreaking circumstances in 2019 after the scores were tied.
The pace department will be spearheaded by Boult, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, and Matt Henry, complemented by the all-round abilities of Mitchell and Neesham. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi will serve as the two specialist spinners in the squad. Notably, Michael Bracewell, the spin-bowling all-rounder, was unavailable due to a right Achilles injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for the next six months.
New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, commented on the selection process, saying, “From Kane and Tim heading to their fourth tournament to the guys selected for the first time, it’s always a very exciting time. As with any squad named for an ICC tournament, there have been some tough decisions, and there will be some disappointed players.”
The announcement of the 15-member squad came after New Zealand’s loss to England in the second ODI of their four-match series. They will commence their 2023 World Cup campaign with a much-anticipated rematch of that 2019 final against England. The tournament’s opening fixture will take place on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.