Black Caps pace bowler Lockie Ferguson is set to lead the national side for the first time in an international fixture after being named captain for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh.
The Black Caps announced this morning Ferguson, who recently led the team in tour matches in England, will captain the side in the absence of regular ODI captain Kane Williamson as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
Regular deputy Tom Latham is missing the series to have time at home before the ICC Cricket World Cup and Test tour to Bangladesh, giving Ferguson a chance to step into the role coach Gary Stead said.
“Lockie is an experienced bowler at the international level, and this is an opportunity for him to really lead from the front with not just the bowling group but the team as a whole," Stead said.
"He stepped into the role for the warm-up matches in England and led a group with a lot of moving parts well.”
Ferguson will lead a significantly different-looking squad than Kiwi fans are used to seeing with Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee also left out by selectors to give them a "short break" before the World Cup.
He will still have some regulars at his side though with Trent Boult again named in a Black Caps squad as well as the likes of Finn Allen, Tom Blundell and Kyle Jamieson.
Batting coach Luke Ronchi will also step up as head coach for the series with Shane Jurgensen and Ian Bell assisting him.
"We have a very full schedule between now until the end of our tour to Pakistan in April including the World Cup and the start of the new World Test Championship cycle so trying to keep players and staff fresh and ready at the right times is paramount," Stead added.
"Balancing workloads also provides opportunities and it’s exciting to have different players in the group and learning in an environment like Bangladesh. It can be a challenging place to tour and getting used to different conditions quickly will be important over the next few months."
The absences mean Dean Foxcroft has earned his maiden selection in a Black Caps ODI squad following his international T20 debut last month against the United Arab Emirates.
Stead said Foxcroft had earned his shot on strong domestic form with Otago.
"Any time a player is selected for the first time it’s exciting and Dean’s shown as the Volts’ leading white ball run scorer last summer the talent he has. We were impressed with the way he came into the group with the T20 Squad, and this will be another great opportunity to keep learning in our environment."
Black Caps ODI squad vs Bangladesh
Lockie Ferguson (c), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft*, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young
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