The New Zealand cricket team announced their 15-member squad for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on Monday, 11 September, in a refreshingly unique fashion. Instead of the usual style, the names of the players were announced by their respective family members – including spouses, children, parents and grandparents.
“Our 2023 @cricketworldcup squad introduced by their number 1 fans,” the caption of the post read. The video began with skipper Kane Williamson’s family announcing his cap number, with the captain of the team set to make a comeback after a prolonged injury layoff.
The video then showed Trent Boult’s sons; the spouses of Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi; Daryl Mitchell and Tim Southee’s daughters, the fiancée of Lockie Ferguson, the grandmother of Jimmy Neesham, Will Young’s mother and the parents of Rachin Ravindra.
The Kiwis, who agonisingly missed out on the silverware four years ago owing to boundary count, will compete against the defending champions, England, in their opening match of the tournament. It is scheduled to be held in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on 5 October.
Meanwhile, Kane Williamson’s men’s fixture against the hosts, India, will be held in Dharamsala’s Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on 22 October.
New Zealand Squad:
Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham (vc & wk), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips (wk), Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Will Young, Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry.
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