New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has been picked in the 14-man squad for the first Test against the West Indies in Christchurch. On the back of good returns with the white ball, Blair Tickner has earned a recall for the first time since 2023.
Having retired from T20I cricket, Williamson skipped the three-match ODI series in order to prepare himself for the red-ball challenge. Before joining the Test squad, New Zealand’s highest run-scorer- Williamson will turn out for Northern Districts in the second round of the Plunket Shield.
“Kane’s ability on the field speaks for itself, and it will be great to have his skills as well as his leadership back in the Test group,” head coach Rob Walter said. “He’s had a bit of time off to get himself ready for red-ball cricket, and I know he’s looking forward to playing for Northern Districts in the second round of the Plunket Shield in the lead-up to the first Test.”
Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears and Matt Fisher were not considered for selection due to their respective injury concerns. On the other hand, Glenn Phillips and Kyle Jamieson have been asked to build up their workload for red-ball cricket. Mitchell Santner is the only specialist spin-bowling option in a pace-heavy squad featuring the likes of Duffy, Tickner, Zak Foulkes, Nathan Smith and Matt Henry.
“Both Jacob and Blair have been around a while and know what it takes to perform at the highest level,” Walter said. “They’ve impressed in their white-ball opportunities so far this summer, and we back them to do so in the Test arena if called upon.”
The three-match Test series at home against the West Indies will be New Zealand’s first assignment of the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle.
New Zealand squad for first Test vs West Indies:
Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
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