Latham to lead NZ ODI side in Pakistan, Saqlain Mushtaq as assistant coach

Due to New Zealand’s decision to pull out of their scheduled tour of Pakistan in 2021 due to security concerns, the Pakistan Cricket Board has arranged additional matches to compensate for the loss.

It has been announced that Tom Latham will captain New Zealand’s ODI squad during their upcoming tour of Pakistan in April. The squad is significantly depleted due to several players being given clearance to participate in the ongoing IPL, including Tim Southee, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell and Lockie Ferguson. Additionally, Kane Williamson has been ruled out due to a knee injury.

Despite the weakened squad, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead believes that the team will benefit from the experience gained during the ODI series earlier this year in Pakistan. The team will also have the advantage of having Saqlain Mushtaq, the former head coach of the Pakistan national side, as their new assistant coach. Saqlain’s experience and insights are expected to aid New Zealand’s preparations for local conditions, particularly in assisting their spin bowling group.

The New Zealand squad for the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan is similar to the one that recently hosted Sri Lanka, which New Zealand won 2-0. The squad includes Cole McConchie and Benjamin Lister, who are yet to make their ODI debuts. McConchie, in particular, has been performing well across formats in New Zealand’s domestic competitions and is expected to be a valuable addition to the squad.

New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan will begin with a five-match T20I series, followed by five ODIs. The ODIs will be played in Rawalpindi and Karachi, with the final game taking place on May 7. The tour includes extra games as compensation for New Zealand pulling out of their tour to Pakistan in September 2021 due to security concerns. In May 2022, New Zealand paid Pakistan an undisclosed sum of money and agreed to play the extra games, which will now be realized during this tour.

The New Zealand ODI squad for the tour of Pakistan in April consists of the following 15 players:

Tom Latham (captain)

Tom Blundell

Chad Bowes

Matt Henry

Ben Lister

Cole McConchie

Adam Milne

Daryl Mitchell

Jimmy Neesham

Henry Nicholls

Rachin Ravindra

Henry Shipley

Ish Sodhi

Blair Tickner

Will Young.