New Zealand fast bowlers recalled for Bangladesh tour

New Zealand have recalled pace bowlers Matt Fisher, Will O’Rourke, and Blair Tickner for their upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh next month. The trio returns to international cricket following injury breaks during the home summer, with O’Rourke selected for the ODI series, Fisher included in the T20I squad, and Tickner named in both squads.

In the absence of regular white-ball captain Mitchell Santner, Test captain Tom Latham will lead both squads on the tour. Off-spinning all-rounder Dean Foxcroft also returns to the white-ball setup after his last T20I appearance in April 2024, following strong domestic performances.

New Zealand aim to recover from their recent T20I series defeat to South Africa at home, while Bangladesh seek to build on their impressive ODI series win against Pakistan. Head Coach Rob Walter emphasised the importance of having bowling depth for the challenging conditions in the subcontinent.

“Will, Blair and Matt have been working very hard over the past few months to get themselves back on the park and back in contention for selection, and we’re pleased to welcome them back into the group. With the amount of cricket being played in the modern game, having depth in our bowling stocks is key. Having players of this quality come back is great for our side,” Walter said, according to the ICC.

New Zealand’s ODI squad consists of Tom Latham (c), Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, and Will Young.

The T20I squad includes Tom Latham (c), Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Bevon Jacobs, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, and Blair Tickner.

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