New Zealand
Previous appearances: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015
Best finish: Runner-up - 2015
Kane Williamson (Captain)
Batsman | Age: 28
Matches -139 | Runs- 5554 | Avg- 45.90 | HS- 145* | 100s- 11 | 50s- 37
The New Zealand captain is considered to be among the best batsmen of his era, alongside the likes of Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Steve Smith. And he could retire as New Zealand’s finest, above the legendary Martin Crowe. His technical prowess - equally adept against spin and fast bowling - and classy strokes, make him a purist’s delight. Yet, he’s easily able to switch between formats and produced some fine knock in both ODIs and T20s. The Black Caps will pray that his shoulder injury does not relapse after he struggled in the recent IPL with the same.
Trent Boult
Bowler | Age: 29
Matches - 79 | Wickets - 147 | Best - 7-34 | Eco – 5.07
Boult's ability to swing the ball both ways at pace consistently, has made him one of the best left-arm pacers of this era. He initially impressed in Tests, but the ability to swing the new ball and cleverly mix it up in the death overs earned him a spot in the 2015 World Cup squad. He vindicated that by finishing as the tournament's highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets as New Zealand reached its first ever World Cup final. Boult has been excellent over the past season scalping 43 wickets in 22 matches, placing him second in the ODI bowler rankings.
Tim Southee
Bowler | Age: 30
Matches - 139 | Wickets - 185 | Best - 7-33 | Eco - 5.42
Southee became the spearhead of the New Zealand attack a few years after a Man of the Tournament finish at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. His outswingers are a trademark but he’s got a vast range of deliveries- a testament to his ability to adapt to any kind of surface and situation quickly, which had made him dangerous with the new and old ball. He is also a handy batsman in slog overs. Injuries have led to a dip in pace but he’s adapted to that too. Besides, his experience and composure on the field will be invaluable for the Kiwis.
Martin Guptill
Batsman | Age: 32
Matches - 169 | Runs - 6440 | Avg - 43.22 | HS - 237* | 100s - 16 | 50s - 34
Who can forget the right-hander’s unbeaten 237 off 163 balls against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup? One of the few openers who can single-handedly destroy opponents, Guptill is also a supreme athlete in the field and can hit the stumps from a distance. Despite a minor blip in form during the home series against India, Guptill has regained his touch in the series against Bangladesh by smashing two hundreds. He, alongside Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, will be shouldering the batting responsibility in his third World Cup.
Ross Taylor
Batsman | Age: 35
Matches - 218 | Runs - 8026 | Avg - 48.34 | HS - 181* | 100s - 20 | 50s - 47
Playing in his fourth World Cup, Taylor is the oldest player in the squad and brings in a wealth of experience batting at No.4. The former Kiwi captain possesses an unorthodox technique but great hand-eye coordination that results in some freewheeling strokeplay. Taylor also arrives at the tournament with a staggering average of 84.33 in the past twelve months, which is only bettered by India’s Virat Kohli and is also the most consistent Kiwi batsman in the current team. Watch out for his tongue-out celebration when he scores a century – a special gesture for his daughter Mackenzie and his son Jonty.
Tom Blundell
Wicket-keeper/Batsman | Age: 28
Uncapped in ODIs
After having featured in the New Zealand U-19 World Cup squad in 2010, Blundell had to wait till 2017 to get his maiden national team call-up. He made his T20I debut against Bangladesh replacing an injured Luke Ronchi. He also became the fourth keeper-batsman in history to score a hundred on his Test debut, when he smashed an unbeaten 107 against West Indies at Wellington. He was also a part of the ODI squad for the Chappell-Hadlee trophy against Australia. He has been impressive in the domestic circuit, helping Wellington win Super Smash T20 tournament.
Lockie Ferguson
Bowler | Age: 27
Matches – 27 | Wickets – 46 | Best - 5-45 | Eco - 5.61
Raw pace (and lately the handlebar moustache) defines Lockie Ferguson. He has only played 27 matches for New Zealand and hasn't yet hit heights he's been predicted to. But his ability to consistently bowl at blistering speeds makes him a valuable asset. He made his international debut in December 2016 replacing an injured Adam Milne after a couple of good seasons in the first-class circuit, where he picked up 21 and 31 wickets.
Matt Henry
Bowler | Age : 27
Matches – 43 | Wickets - 78 | Best - 5-30 | Eco - 5.52
Another devastating pacer in the New Zealand ranks, Matt Henry has often been compared to Shane Bond from the latter's earlier days. He impressed in his ODI debut against India, picking up 4-38. He was brought on as the injured Adam Milne's replacement for the 2015 World Cup semifinals and finals and has since then featured regularly for the Black Caps with the white ball. His ability to generate seam movement at good pace makes him a potential weapon in England. He picked up 27 wickets in his first three matches for Kent in the County second division last year.
Tom Latham
Wicketkeeper/Batsman | Age: 27
Matches - 85 | Runs - 2395 | Avg - 33.75 | HS - 137 | 100s - 4 | 50s - 14 | Catches - 58 | Stumpings - 7
The son of former New Zealand cricketer Rod Latham, Tom is a left-handed batsman and looks like his team's first-choice wicketkeeper for the World Cup. Latham was one of the biggest talents that emerged from the 2010 Under-19 World Cup making his international debut aged 19. More prolific in Tests, he'd established himself as a classic Test opener. His spot as opener in ODIs however was lost to Colin Munro who emerged as the more effective option, slotting Latham in the middle order.
Colin de Grandhomme
All-rounder | Age: 32
Matches – 28 | Runs- 443 | Avg- 29.53 | HS- 74* | 50s- 1 | Wickets- 18 | Best- 3-26 | Eco- 5.05
Colin de Grandhomme, who represented Zimbabwe in the 2004 U-19 World Cup before moving to New Zealand, is a handy cricketer to have in your side. The limited over format suits him - an explosive batsman lower down the order with superior ball-striking abilities and a utility bowler who can generate quite a bit of movement on greenish tracks even at medium pace. He'll find a lot of that in England.
Colin Munro
Batsman | Age: 32
Matches - 51 | Runs - 1146 | Avg - 24.91 | HS - 87 | 50s - 87
An aggressive opener with three T20I centuries (only bettered by Rohit Sharma), Colin Munro is a T20 trump card. The left-hander also has the fastest fifty by a Kiwi batsman when he scored it in 14 balls in the T20I against Sri Lanka. But a string of consistent performances in the 50-over format over the last two years, has seen him earn a spot as the ideal opening partner for Martin Guptill. And yet, he’s not a one-dimensional player. He’s also got a tricky medium-pace delivery that works on sluggish tracks.
James Neesham
All-rounder | Age: 28
Matches - 49 | Runs - 1015 | Avg - 30.76 | HS - 74 | 50s - 5 | Wickets - 44 | Eco - 6.31 | Best - 4-42
Jimmy Neesham is another all-rounder New Zealand can bank on, especially when it needs quick runs in the final overs. The left-handed batsman has maintained a strike rate of over a run-a-ball in ODIs and has the ability to get those big overs and see his team across the line. His right-arm medium-pace has proved effective in the middle overs and has gotten crucial wickets, breaking blossoming partnerships.
Henry Nicholls
Batsman | Age: 27
Matches - 41 | Runs - 1029 | HS - 124* | Avg - 35.48 | 100s - 1 | 50s - 8
Nicholls has become a reliable middle-order option for New Zealand in white-ball cricket. Coming anywhere between 3 and 5, he’s been consistent with his contributions. Sound technique, elegant strokeplay and the ability to pick up the pace at will makes him an important part of the squad. He has also opened the innings alongside Martin Guptill on various occasions, but is the most effective while batting at No.3.
Mitchell Santner
All-rounder | Age: 27
Matches - 59 | Wickets - 63 | Best - 5-50 | Eco - 4.9 | Runs - 826 | HS - 67 | Avg - 27.53 | 50s - 2
In Mitchell Santner, New Zealand has a like-for-like replacement for Daniel Vettori, who retired in 2015. Like Vettori, the left-arm orthodox spinner has got an exceptional economy rate and has often proven to be an effective batsman lower down the order, with some big shots in his kitty. Santner, who is a bigger turner of the ball than Vettori, can choke the run-rate in the middle overs. His batting has dipped recently, but his potential with bat and ball will will come in handy in England.
Ish Sodhi
Bowler | Age: 26
Matches - 30 | Wickets - 39 | Best - 4-58 | Eco - 5.53
The Ludhiana-born wrist spinner’s talent was noticed at an early age, with Sodhi making his Test debut for New Zealand at the age of 19. He fell out of favour in red-ball cricket and shifted his focus to limited overs where, alongside Santner, has been a raging success. He still plays the odd Test, but his value as a wrist spinner shines through in limited-overs cricket which is becoming more and more batting friendly.
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