New Zealand announce squad for 2023 ICC World Cup: Details
New Zealand have announced their 15-member squad for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be played in India in October-November. As confirmed by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) earlier, Kane Williamson, who continues to recover from his ACL injury, will lead the team. Trent Boult and James Neesham have made the cut despite not having central contracts. Here are further details.
A look at NZ's World Cup squad
Squad: Kane Williamson (C), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (VC and WK), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.
Williamson had a race against time
New Zealand captain Williamson, who led them to the 2019 World Cup final, had a race against time to get fit for the 2023 edition. He has been out of action since sustaining a knee injury while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Notably, there is still no date in place for his return.
Will Young over Finn Allen
The selectors have gone with Will Young over Finn Allen as the former has produced some impressive performances in ODI cricket lately. He would form the opening pair with Devon Conway. "We felt that Youngy was the right guy to go with," head coach Gary Stead was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, discarded opener Martin Guptill is not a part of the squad.
Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra included
Spin-bowling all-rounder Michael Bracewell was unavailable for selection, having suffered a right achilles injury. This opened the door for young all-rounder Rachin Ravindra. Mark Chapman is another notable inclusion to the team. Meanwhile, pacers Kyle Jamieson and Adam Milne did not make the cut with the likes of Boult, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, and Matt Henry being available.
Experience to the fore
Having named an experienced squad, NZ will certainly be a team to watch out for. Williamson and Southee are set to feature in their fourth World Cup. Trent Boult, Matt Henry, and vice-captain Tom Latham will stand in their third ODI World Cup. Ferguson, Neesham, Mitchell Santner, and Ish Sodhi made their ODI WC debut in the 2019 edition.
What did Stead say?
Stead admitted that the selectors had to make a some tough calls with many players in contention missing out. However, he reckons the current squad has all the bases covered. "The key for us was finding the right balance for the squad and making sure we had our bases covered for what is going to be a very competitive tournament," said Stead.
