Families help reveal Black Caps squad

New Zealand Cricket hit a six yesterday with the unique way they named the Black Caps squad for the Cricket World Cup.

Wives, partners, children, parents, pets and even a grandparent took part in a video to name the 15 players who will head to India. The video was played to the school assembly at Papatoetoe High School as part of the official squad naming, with squad members Ish Sodhi, Jimmy Neesham and Mark Chapman in attendance.

A family member named each squad member, with Neesham’s grandmother announcing he’ll be heading to his second World Cup.

Captain Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Sodhi bring past World Cup experience.

Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Will Young, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra will attend for the first time. Players to miss out included Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls and Finn Allen.

Williamson and Southee will join an exclusive group of players to be selected for four or more ODI World Cups.

The experienced squad for the tournament, which starts in India on October 5, was named this morning at an event Sodhi’s old school, Papatoetoe High School.

Williamson and Southee, who featured for the Black Caps last time the tournament was held in India in 2011, are joined in the squad by six players who have been selected for the tournament for the first time.

Black Caps coach Gary Stead said he felt they had the right balance in the squad.

“As with any squad named for an ICC tournament, there have been some tough calls and there will be some disappointed players.

“The key for us was finding the right balance for the squad and making sure we had our bases covered for what is going to be a very competitive tournament.”

The squad’s first warm-up fixture is against Pakistan on September 29 in Hyderabad before the open the tournament on October 5 against England.

Black Caps squad

Captain Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Will Young, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission