Pace power for New Zealand’s English summer

New Zealand have named a pace‑heavy squad for their upcoming English summer, beginning with a one‑off Test against Ireland before a three‑match series against England in the ICC World Test Championship 2025‑27. Tom Latham leads a side currently second in the standings, aiming to strengthen their push for a place in the final at Lord’s.

The major boost comes with the returns of Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke, set for their first Tests since early 2024 and mid‑2025 respectively. They join a deep fast‑bowling group featuring Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner, while Michael Rae, Kristian Clarke and Ben Sears are included only for the Ireland leg. Jacob Duffy misses the tour for family reasons, and Michael Bracewell remains focused on white‑ball cricket. With Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway anchoring the batting, New Zealand enter a defining phase of their WTC campaign.