No Williamson, Southee and more: New Zealand's IPL-bound players to miss Sri Lanka ODIs, Tom Latham to lead 16-man squad

The New Zealand cricket board on March 14 (Tuesday) announced a 16-man squad for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.

SportsTak

• Tue • 14 Mar 2023

The New Zealand cricket board on March 14 (Tuesday) announced a 16-man squad for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Veteran players and some fresh faces have been included in the squad as Indian Premier League (IPL) bound players have not been named in the 16-man squad. In the absence of Kane Williamson, stylish batter Tom Latham will lead the side, which has a nice blend of youth and experience.

Apart from Williamson, Tim Southee, Devon Conway and Mithcell Santner will also miss the ODI series as they are scheduled to take part in the cash-rich tournament in India.

Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Glenn Phillips, who are also slated to participate in IPL 2023, have been named in the squad just for the 1st ODI. The troika will depart for India after playing the first ODI match.

Ben Lister, who made his T20I debut against India earlier in the year, is one of the two uncapped players named in the ODI squad. Chad Bowes has earned a maiden call-up after his excellent performance with Canterbury this season.

"It’s always exciting as a coach to have new players in the environment and to have players putting their hands up to be selected again in a particular format," New Zealand coach Gary Stead said.

"Chad has been impressive for a number of seasons at the top of the order for Canterbury as well as being an excellent fielder.

"We are set to play 16 white ball matches between now and the start of May so there will be a number of chances for players to test themselves in familiar and unfamiliar conditions," he added.

Veterans Tom Blundell and Will Young have been recalled to the squad in the absence of regular players.

The ODI series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka will begin on March 25 in Auckland. The second ODI will take place on March 28 in Christchurch while the final ODI will be played in Hamilton on March 31. After the completion of the ODI series, the two teams will compete in a three-match T20I series.

New Zealand squad for Sri Lanka ODIs: Tom Latham (c), Finn Allen (ODI 1), Tom Blundell, Chad Bowes, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman (ODI 2 & 3), Lockie Ferguson (ODI 1), Matt Henry, Ben Lister (ODI 2 & 3), Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls (ODI 2 & 3), Glenn Phillips (ODI 1), Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young