Making a quicker recovery than expected, Kane Williamson has been named New Zealand's captain in the squad announced by New Zealand Cricket for the ICC World Cup 2023. The 15-member squad was announced on Monday morning after Kiwis' loss to England in the second ODI of the four-match series. Williamson, who suffered a ruptured ACL in IPL 2023, is making a quick recovery following surgery to his right knee.
Williamson and Tim Southee will be playing their fourth ODI World Cup as they join the 15-member group for the World Cup. Meanwhile, six players in the squad will feature in the marquee tournament for the first time. Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Will Young have been included in the ODI World Cup squad for the first time.
Notably, opening batter Finn Allen and top-order batter Henry Nicholls miss out on being part of the Kiwi squad. The head coach of New Zealand Gary Stead admitted that he faced tough calls while naming the team. “It’s always a special time to name a tournament team and I’d like to congratulate the 15 players selected today. It’s a great honour to represent your country at a World Cup," Stead said.
"From Kane and Tim heading to their fourth tournament to the guys selected for the first time, it’s 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," he added.
New Zealand ended as runners-up in the 2019 edition as they agonisingly fell short in a heart-stopper against England. The Kiwis will kickstart their 2023 campaign in a rematch of that epic final against the current champions - England. The 2019 finalists will kickstart the tournament on October 5 with a game at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
New Zealand squad for ICC World Cup 2023:
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
