February 18, 2025: The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 has approved the replacement of Lockie Ferguson with Kyle Jamieson in the New Zealand squad, following an injury to Ferguson’s right foot. Jamieson, 30, who has played 13 ODIs, will join the squad as a direct replacement for Ferguson.
The decision to replace Ferguson had to be approved by the Event Technical Committee before Jamieson’s official inclusion in the squad. The committee includes ICC General Manager Wasim Khan, Senior Manager Sarah Edgar, PCB Director Usman Wahla, and independent representative Shaun Pollock.
New Zealand will begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 19 against Pakistan in Karachi, followed by matches against Bangladesh on February 24 in Rawalpindi and India on March 2 in Dubai. The squad, under the leadership of Mitchell Santner, consists of a mix of youthful talent and experienced campaigners.
The Kiwis have built strong momentum heading into the tournament, having won three out of four bilateral or tri-nation series they’ve participated in recently. Their 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka is their only blemish, with the team’s record of seven wins and four losses in the 11 ODIs they’ve played since the 2023 World Cup looking promising.
New Zealand’s squad features several players in excellent form, such as Kane Williamson, who has been in stellar form since the 2019 World Cup, Rachin Ravindra, a left-handed prodigy, and Glenn Phillips, a versatile all-rounder capable of turning games around with his batting, bowling, and fielding. The young pacer Will O’Rourke is another player to watch out for in the coming years.
However, the absence of veteran pacers Trent Boult and Tim Southee leaves a gap in the bowling attack. The pace unit will now be spearheaded by Matt Henry, with support from the inexperienced but promising O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy, and Nathan Smith. The Kiwi pace attack will miss the experience and pace of Ferguson and others due to injuries, including Ben Sears, who is also out of the competition due to a hamstring injury.
New Zealand’s squad for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 includes: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young, and Jacob Duffy.