WELLINGTON: Tom Latham will lead New Zealand’s One-day Onternational team in the three-match series against Sri Lanka later this month with a host of Black Caps stars released to their Indian Premier League clubs.

Latham will be skipper for the whiteball matches at Auckland’s Eden Park on March 25, Christchurch three days later and Hamilton on March 31, the same day the 2023 IPL season kicks off.

Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans), Tim Southee (Kolkata Knight Riders), Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner (both Chennai Super Kings) will be released early after the current Test series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand Cricket said.

Williamson steered New Zealand to a thrilling last-ball win over Sri Lanka in the first Test on Monday on a rain-disrupted final day in Christchurch. The second Test starts in Wellington on Friday.

Meanwhile, Finn Allen (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Lockie Ferguson (Kolkata Knight Riders) and Glenn Phillips (Sunrisers Hyderabad) will leave the squad after the first ODI.

Tom Blundell and Will Young are back in the squad while uncapped players Chad Bowes and Ben Lister have also been called up. Lister, Mark Chapman and Henry Nicholls will join the squad ahead of the second ODI.

Lister made his Twenty20 debut in India last month while this is the first time South African-born batter Bowes has been selected for the Black Caps.

“Chad has been impressive for a number of seasons at the top of the order for Canterbury as well as being an excellent fielder,” coach Gary Stead said in a statement.

“We are set to play 16 white ball matches between now and the start of May so there will be a number of chances for players to test themselves in familiar and unfamiliar conditions.

“Tom Blundell, in particular, is someone who we’ve been hugely impressed by in international cricket over the past 18 months as a leader in the test team and then domestically with the Wellington Firebirds.”

New Zealand will host Sri Lanka in three Twenty20 matches following the ODI series.

Squad: Tom Latham (c), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Chad Bowes, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2023