New Zealand test preparations have suffered an unexpected impact with Captain Tom Latham exclusion from the opening test against Zimbabwe due to shoulder injury. In his absence, Mitchell Santner was officially appointed 32. Test captain in New Zealand for the game, starting with the 30th July in Bulawayo.
Santner, a regular Captain of the White Ball since December 2024, will enter the black kokapy in the test format and mark his first task in this role at the beginning of Zimbabwe Tour – a bold step with a team seeking continuity and a new direction in the test series.
Santner, scoring 1,066 runs and took 74 goals in 30 tests, entered the role after the triumphant campaign T20i Tri-Series in Harare, where the black caps took place through the group phase and the finals.
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New Zealand’s head coach Rob Walter said he was disappointed in the fact that Latham had disappeared, but showed faith in Santner to add.
“It is never great to lose the captain (Tom Latham), who is a first -class opening dough and a great team man, but that said we were going to work hard to have it for the second test,” Walter ICC quoted.
“We will continue to assess and find out whether a substitute player is necessary, but at this stage we hope to recover in time.”
“Mitch (Santner) has done a great job with the T20 team in this recent series. Whilst Format is different, certainly has respect players and will be supported by some highly experienced test crickets, so I believe it will do a great job,” Walter added.
New Zealand Squad for 1. Test vs Zimbabwe
Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rouke, Ajaz Patel, Michael Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner (C), Nathan Smith, Will Young
– ends
Published:
Sabyasachi Chowdhury
Published on:
29. July 2025
