Experienced New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson will be leading the Blackcaps in the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh starting on September 21. Blackcaps stand-in skipper Tom Latham, alongside Tim Southee, Devon Conway, and Mitchell Santner is rested for the series to give them a much-needed break before the ODI World Cup in India.
A few of the experienced pros like Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Adam Milne, and Kyle Jamieson will be part of the squad for Bangladesh as they will look to adapt themselves to the sub-continental conditions and to get themselves ready for the marquee event in India.
Speaking to the media, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead is elated to have Lockie Ferguson in the leadership role in the absence of senior players in the team and feels that it is an opportunity for him to lead the team at the highest level, having led them in few warm-up games.
“Lockie is an experienced bowler at the international level, and this is an opportunity for him to really lead from the front with not just the bowling group but the team as a whole, He stepped into the role for the warm-up matches in England and led a group with a lot of moving parts well”.
The Kiwis have been one of the consistent performers in the white ball ICC events reaching the finals of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cup followed by another final reach in the 2021 T20 World Cup and the team will be hoping to do well in the mega event in India.
It’s Exciting To Have Different Players In The Group – Gary Stead
Gary Steady emphasized the tightly packed for the Blackcaps in the International calendar, as the team is on the road starting from the ongoing England white-ball tour, and revealed that the tight schedule has forced them to rest a few key players and keep them fresh for the big balances and believes that the Bangladesh series would be good testing for the team ahead of the World Cup.
“We have a very full schedule between now until the end of our tour to Pakistan in April including the World Cup and the start of the new World Test Championship cycle so trying to keep players and staff fresh and ready at the right times is paramount.”
“Balancing workloads also provides opportunities and it’s exciting to have different players in the group and learning in an environment like Bangladesh. It can be a challenging place to tour and getting used to different conditions quickly will be important over the next few months,” Gary Stead added.
New Zealand ODI squad vs Bangladesh Lockie Ferguson (capt), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult. Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young