Kane Williamson has made an incredible recovery from a knee injury he suffered in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 opening match between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings earlier this year and has been named captain of the 15-member New Zealand team which will be taking part in the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 from next month. The 2019 ODI World Cup runners-up will open their campaign against the defending champions England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5.


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Captain Kane Williamson and experienced bowler Tim Southee are part of an exclusive group of players to be selected for four or more ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups after being confirmed in the New Zealand squad for the 2023 tournament on Monday morning. The experienced squad for the tournament which starts in India on October 5 was named this morning at an event at World Cup squad member Ish Sodhi’s old school, Papatoetoe High School in Auckland.


Gujarat Titans batter Williamson and Southee, who featured for the New Zealand last time the tournament was held in India in 2011, are joined in the squad by six players who have been selected for the tournament for the first time. Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips feature in a One Day World Cup squad for the first time having featured in T20 World Cup squads before.


All-rounder Rachin Ravindra and batsman Will Young are selected in their first senior white ball World Cup squads. The group of new players is balanced by an experienced core including Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Tom Latham who all feature in their third 50-over World Cup squads.


Latham, also named as vice-captain in the squad, will continue with the keeping gloves after taking a record-equaling 21 catches at the last event. Lockie Ferguson, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are also included in the squad having first featured in England and Wales in 2019.



New Zealand coach Gary Stead said it was an exciting day for all involved whether it was your first or fourth tournament. “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 in a NZC statement.


“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.


“The key for us was finding the right balance for the squad and making sure we had our bases covered for what is going to be a very competitive tournament,” he added.


New Zealand ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (vc,wk), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee and Will Young


Stead will lead the coaching group in India with regular assistants, batting coach Luke Ronchi and bowling coach Shane Jurgensen. The BLACKCAPS squad and support staff involved in the tournament assemble from Bangladesh and New Zealand with groups arriving in India on September 26 and 27.