NZC has announced that Mitchell Santner will serve as interim captain, with the permanent ODI and T20I captains to be decided later in the home summer. Santner previously captained New Zealand in a lone ODI against Scotland in 2022, securing a seven-wicket victory. Additionally, he has led the side in 22 T20Is, winning 12 of them. The Blackcaps have also given maiden national call-ups to bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith and wicketkeeper-batter Mitchell Hay for the Sri Lanka tour.
Bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith joins the squad after being named NZC’s Men’s Domestic Player of the Year at the ANZ New Zealand Cricket Awards in March and receiving a central contract last month. Smith impressed in the domestic circuit, taking 24 wickets across two white-ball competitions for the Firebirds last season.
Mitchell Hay, who has previously played for New Zealand A, has been a regular performer in all three formats in recent seasons. Lockie Ferguson will lead the pace attack, which includes Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, and Josh Clarkson. Tim Robinson, who impressed during his debut international tour in Pakistan in April, earns his second call-up.
NZC announced that Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, and Kane Williamson have been excluded from the squad as they gear up for the Test series against England, which begins on November 28.
NZ squad for SL white ball series: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay (wk), Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Will Young
