Black Caps coach Gary Stead keeping captaincy options open for World Cup

Tim Southee and Tom Latham are contenders to captain the Black Caps at the World Cup. Photo / Getty

As the Black Caps begin the selection process for this year’s World Cup, uncertainty still surrounds the first name on the teamsheet.

With Kane Williamson likely to be absent from the squad through injury, coach Gary Stead opted against committing to a captain for the ODI tournament.

Tom Latham has regularly occupied that role in white-ball sides without Williamson, leading out the Black Caps in 31 ODIs and 13 T20s, including all 10 matches on the recently completed Pakistan tour.

But when Williamson ceded the test captaincy last year, Tim Southee earned elevation to full-time skipper in red-ball cricket, and Stead suggested the veteran bowler could do likewise in India.

“That’s something that still needs to be worked out,” the coach said. “Tim’s captain in the test team as well; Tom’s had plenty of white-ball experience in the past. I thought he captained really well [in Pakistan] with a number of guys he didn’t know much about.”

An under-strength New Zealand side fell to a 4-1 defeat in the ODI series after securing a 2-2 T20 split, with Southee among the front-line players over the border on IPL duty. The 34-year-old has captained the ODI team only once, in 2018, but over the summer made a strong start to his test tenure.

Southee’s place in a first-choice World Cup XI is not guaranteed, however. He played only one match at the 2019 edition – with Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson preferred – and the expected turn on offer in India could lead to a preponderance of spin.

Stead confirmed that Kyle Jamieson was close to returning to the bowling crease and also remained in the selection frame, while Adam Milne’s average of 30 in Pakistan was the Black Caps’ best during a tough series for bowlers.

Latham, conversely, is an automatic pick in a World Cup XI, his importance with the bat only increasing in Williamson’s absence.

The same could be said of Daryl Mitchell, who shone at No 3 in Pakistan. But after the 31-year-old led the Black Caps with 297 runs at an average of 74, Stead offered no hints about the leading contender to assume Williamson’s spot in the batting order.

“It doesn’t solidify him in any position, but every opportunity that Daryl gets in a number of different positions, he puts his hand up,” Stead said. “Every tour you go on there’s always that big-picture view of World Cups in the future. There were some really good performances, which was pleasing, from some guys who don’t always get that opportunity.”

Will Young, another option at No 3, enjoyed his opportunity opening the batting, scoring 240 runs at 48 to trail only Mitchell and Latham. That trio could feasibly form half of the top six at the World Cup, with Devon Conway, Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips to be added from the IPL.

“Will’s had a really good start to his international career, especially in the white-ball game,” Stead said. “He’s played some of the associate teams where he’s scored some big runs, but it was really pleasing to see how he went [in Pakistan] against what was a really quality attack.”

Batting depth in a 15-man World Cup squad would be supplied from a group including Chad Bowes, Tom Blundell and Henry Nicholls, none of whom separated themselves in Pakistan.

Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell and Ish Sodhi will battle for spin duties, while Jimmy Neesham’s all-round abilities were largely underutilised in Pakistan.

“We have probably 11 or 12 spots worked out and now it’s just about working out what those final positions look like,” Stead said. “We’ve just come off the plane and we’ve got three months before we need to land this, so we’ve got time on our side.”