Lockie Ferguson set to lead New Zealand's ODI charge against Bangladesh

Lockie Ferguson (Source: Twitter)

New Zealand's cricketing landscape is set for a temporary shift in leadership as Lockie Ferguson takes the helm as captain for the upcoming three-match ODI Series against Bangladesh. This marks a significant milestone in Ferguson's career, as he steps into the role of skipper, having previously led the team during tours in England.

The decision to appoint Ferguson as captain comes as regular ODI skipper Kane Williamson continues his recovery from knee surgery. Additionally, vice-captain Tom Latham will be absent from the series, opting to spend valuable time at home before the Cricket World Cup and the Test tour to Bangladesh. One exciting development in New Zealand's squad is the potential ODI debut of Dean Foxcroft. The talented cricketer has earned his maiden selection following an impressive T20I debut just last month against the UAE.

In preparation for the Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 and to provide some players with a well-deserved break, New Zealand has opted to rest key individuals. This includes the omission of Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, and Tim Southee from the squad. Furthermore, the absence of Mark Chapman and Jimmy Neesham is due to the serendipitous timing of their first children's arrivals, which coincides with the series against Bangladesh.

Coach Gary Stead spoke at length about the issues in New Zealand's cricket set up

Coach Gary Stead emphasized the importance of managing player workloads and achieving a balanced team composition, particularly in light of the team's busy schedule ahead. He commented, “We have a very full schedule between now until the end of our tour to Pakistan in April including the World Cup and the start of the new World Test Championship cycle so trying to keep players and staff fresh and ready at the right times is paramount.”

Stead also highlighted the challenge of adapting to the unique conditions of Bangladesh and the significance of providing opportunities to different players. “Balancing workloads also provides opportunities and it’s exciting to have different players in the group and learning in an environment like Bangladesh. It can be a challenging place to tour and getting used to different conditions quickly will be important over the next few months.”

The New Zealand coach expressed confidence in Ferguson's ability to lead the team, saying, “Lockie is an experienced bowler at the international level, and this is an opportunity for him to really lead from the front with not just the bowling group but the team as a whole. He stepped into the role for the warm-up matches in England and led a group with a lot of moving parts well.”

Regarding Dean Foxcroft's selection, Stead praised the batsman's domestic form, saying, “Any time a player is selected for the first time it’s exciting and Dean’s shown as the Volts’ leading white ball run scorer last summer the talent he has. We were impressed with the way he came into the group with the T20 Squad, and this will be another great opportunity to keep learning in our environment.”

New Zealand's ODI Squad for Bangladesh: Lockie Ferguson (c), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young