The Black Caps have received mixed news on the injury front, but have been boosted for the first of three cricket tests against the West Indies, starting in Christchurch next week.
New Zealand coach Rob Walter has named his 14-man group for the series opener at Hagley Oval, with Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell both included.
As he closes in on becoming the first New Zealander to score 10,000 runs in the format, Williamson missed the Black Caps’ 3-0 One-Day International (ODI) series whitewash of the West Indies, specifically to prepare for the tests.
The 35-year-old has not played a test since December 2024, when he scored 156 in the second innings to set up a 423-run victory over England in Hamilton.
Along the same lines, Mitchell was also rested for the second and third ODIs, after suffering a groin injury during his man-of-the-match knock of 119 in Christchurch. But after stepping aside as a precaution, Mitchell has been cleared to don the whites on his adopted home ground.
However, further down the order, the Black Caps will be without Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Phillips, both of whom still need to complete return-to-play plans in red-ball cricket.
Despite being named as the man of the series in the West Indies ODIs, Jamieson has not played a red-ball game since the Black Caps’ 281-run victory over South Africa at Mount Maunganui in February 2024.
That match saw Jamieson suffer a stress fracture in his back and only return at the start of 2025 after a lengthy recovery.
Phillips is also unavailable as he continues to come back from a groin injury suffered playing in American Major League Cricket earlier this year.
The 28-year-old did return in the Plunket Shield for Otago last week, with scores of six and 28 not out, as well as taking 2-47 and 3-60 with the ball.
As a result, Walter has named a squad for the first test only, to further evaluate Jamieson and Phillips for potential returns later in the series.
On top of that, Will O’Rourke has also not recovered in time after suffering a back stress fracture earlier this year.
It was hoped the 24-year-old would be able to complete a strength and conditioning programme to be available for the West Indies tests, however the fast bowler is still yet to return to any form of cricket.
In their places, the bowling ranks have been supplemented by Zak Foulkes, Jacob Duffy and Blair Tickner.
Foulkes is in line to play his second test match, and first at home, after debuting in Zimbabwe earlier this year. The 23-year-old claimed match figures of 9-75 in that test – the best for a New Zealander on debut.
Duffy also debuted in that same test and took 2-52 in the match. The 31-year-old can also play his first home test, after establishing himself as a first-choice selection in New Zealand’s white-ball plans.
Tickner, meanwhile, could play his first test since 2023 after returning to the Black Caps’ white-ball ranks this summer.
Reunited with Walter after years spent together with Central Districts, the 32-year-old claimed man-of-the-match honours against England in Hamilton and Wellington, as well as the man-of-the-series award for good measure.
Black Caps squad: Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.