Tom Latham ruled out of first test against Zimbabwe; New Zealand name new captain

Tom Latham expects to play the second test against Zimbabwe.

New Zealand test skipper Tom Latham has been ruled out of the first test against Zimbabwe due to a shoulder injury. Latham sustained the injury last month and could not recover in time ahead of the first test.

However, he will remain part of the squad and expects to play the second test. After winning the T20I tri-series, New Zealand will face Zimbabwe in a two-match test series. The opening game will commence on July 30 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. The second test will be played from August 7 at the same venue.

Notably, the two-match test series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand is not part of ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 as Zimbabwe are not part of the tournament.

Mitchell Santner named as New Zealand captain for first test

After Latham’s ouster, white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner has been named as captain for the first test. Santner will become 32nd player to lead New Zealand in test cricket.

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said that it was disappointing to lose Latham for the first test, however, they expect him to be available for the second game.

“It’s hugely disappointing for Tom to be missing the first Test, as captain but also as an integral part of the team. It’s never great when you lose your captain, who’s a world-class opening batter and a great team man, but that said we’re going to work really hard to have him available for the second Test,” he said.

“We’ll continue to assess and see whether a replacement player is necessary, but at this stage we are hopeful that he’ll recover in time,” he added.

Prior to the test series, New Zealand engaged in a T20I Tri-Series in Zimbabwe, which was played between Zimbabwe, New Zealand and South Africa. The BlackCaps won the Tri-series unbeaten. They defeated South Africa in the final.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe have never defeated New Zealand in a test match. Last month, they lost a two-match test series against South Africa 0-2.

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