New Zealand wicketkeeper Tom Latham confirmed that speedster Kyle Jamieson who had been added to the squad as Lockie Ferguson's replacement will miss the opener clash of Champions Trophy 2025 against Pakistan. Ferguson was ruled out on Tuesday due to injury and his replacement will not join the squad until Wednesday.
Latham who addressed the media on the match eve of the opener clash in place of Mitchell Santner said that Jamieson will miss the opener clash because he will reach Pakistan on Wednesday but the star player will feature in the rest of the tournament.
"No, we haven't finalised our XI yet. We have training now and will decide afterward. As you mentioned, Kyle Jamieson is arriving tomorrow, so unfortunately, he won't be available for our first game but will be ready for the rest of the tournament," Latham said.
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Discussing the atmosphere in Karachi and the support Pakistan will enjoy, Latham added:
"I'm sure it's going to be a packed crowd here in Karachi, and they'll have plenty of support behind them. We're really looking forward to the challenge, and I'm sure it'll be another great game."
Rachin Ravindra Injury
Latham also opened up on young batter Rachin Ravindra's injury. He said that the BlackCaps will not rush the star all-rounder's recovery ahead of their opener clash. Rachin got hit by a ball while fielding during the first match of the tri-nation ODI series, forcing him out of the action for the remainder of the series.
"He will train tonight, so we'll get a better indication of how he's progressing. His recovery is going well, but we just need to make sure. "It was a pretty nasty injury. When it involves the head, you want to be absolutely certain everything is fine. He's following the necessary protocols, and we'll wait and see," Latham said during the pre-match press conference (via India Today).
After the opener clash against Pakistan, New Zealand will face Bangladesh in their second league match. The BlackCaps will face India for their last league match which will take place in Dubai.
New Zealand squad
Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.