New Zealand have named an experienced 15-man squad for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson has returned to the team after fighting a knee injury he suffered at the IPL earlier this year and will lead the Kiwis in the second consecutive 50-over World Cup after leading them to the finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup in England.
The 33-year-old had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, for which he underwent surgery and is currently undergoing rehabilitation with the team in England. The return of Kane Williamson could be a big boost to the team because he can keep the Black Caps innings steady in the middle overs having the ample amount of experience playing in the Indian conditions.
Mark Chapman was chosen for the team due to his outstanding performance with the bat this season, particularly in the T20 format, while spin bowling all-rounder Rachin Ravindra will be part of the team, as he can valuable to the team in Sub-continental conditions. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert have missed out on the squad to the marquee event despite a good performance for the team in recent times.
Speaking to the media after the team selection, Gary Stead said that selecting the final squad required some difficult choices, but he believes that the team’s balance of youth and experience will serve them well in India and praised Kane Williamson and Tim Southee for the making their fourth World Cup appearance.
“It is always a special time to name a tournament team and I’d like to congratulate the 15 players selected today. It is a great honour to represent your country at a World Cup, From Kane and Tim heading to their fourth tournament to the guys selected for the first time, it is always a very exciting time.”
“As with any squad named for an ICC tournament, there have been some tough calls and there will be some disappointed players. 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,” Gary Steady said.
New Zealand will look to go one step further in the 2023 ODI World Cup after making it into the final of the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Since 2015, the team has performed very well against high-quality opponents in the ICC events as they consistently reached the knockout stage of the ICC events.
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.