Tom Latham's Injury Shakes Up New Zealand's ODI Plans

Tom Latham, New Zealand's stumper-batsman, faces a setback due to a hand injury, ruling him out of the ODI series against Pakistan. Michael Bracewell will lead the team in his absence. The team experiences further changes as Henry Nicholls and Rhys Mariu join amid player unavailability.

New Zealand cricket's preparation for the ODI series against Pakistan faced a disruption following the injury of stumper-batsman Tom Latham. Latham, expected to lead the team, fractured his hand in practice, sidelining him for at least four weeks.

With Mitchell Santner participating in the IPL, Michael Bracewell, who successfully led the T20 victory against Pakistan, will step in as captain once again. Opener Will Young will miss the latter part of the series for personal reasons, further impacting the squad.

Coach Gary Stead has expressed confidence in Bracewell's leadership, despite the challenges of player unavailability. Henry Nicholls returns to replace Latham, with Rhys Mariu making his debut. Coach Stead emphasizes leveraging such shifts to offer opportunities to new and returning players.

(With inputs from agencies.)