New Zealand’s key batsman, Tom Latham, will not play in the upcoming One Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan. According to New Zealand Cricket, he has been ruled out due to a broken hand.
New Zealand is set to play a three-match ODI series against Pakistan. The first match will take place on Saturday, followed by the second on April 2 and the third on April 5. Latham, 32, suffered the injury during practice. He was initially named as the captain for this series, as Mitchell Santner was unavailable due to his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now, Michael Bracewell will take over the captaincy in Latham’s absence.
With Latham out, Mitchell Hay will take over as the team’s wicketkeeper. Additionally, another key player, Will Young, will leave the squad after the first ODI. Young is expecting his first child, so he will not play the final two matches. To replace Young, 23-year-old batsman Rhys Mariu has been included in the squad. He has not yet played for the national team but has performed well in first-class cricket.
Earlier, New Zealand defeated Pakistan 4-1 in a five-match T20I series. The home team won the first match by nine wickets, the second by five wickets, the fourth by 115 runs, and the fifth by eight wickets. Pakistan won the third match by nine wickets.
