Black Caps v India: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Lockie Ferguson back in ODI squad, eye on 2027 World Cup
As they face one of the world’s most powerful batting line-ups, the Black Caps will finish their one-day international series against India fighting fire with fire.
With coach Rob Walter naming an extended 21-man group for the five matches, the Black Caps will welcome back T20 freelancers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert into their 50-over ranks, a clear sign of intent for next year’s World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Allen and Seifert have been named in the extended squad for games four and five only, as the Black Caps’ test players will sit out the final matches of the series to prepare for next month’s test series against India.
While the pair boast modest ODI records from their respective 22 and four matches, Allen and Seifert’s partnership in the shortest format has proven to be one of the most destructive in the game, and led New Zealand to the final of this year’s T20 World Cup against India.
Allen, 27, has since become the most expensive player in Australia’s Big Bash League and earned a three-year deal worth an initial $740,000 per season to join the Melbourne Stars. Seifert, meanwhile, was player of the tournament in England’s The Hundred, with 394 runs for the Manchester Super Giants.
While neither holds a New Zealand Cricket central contract, the duo will get the chance to put their hands up in the 50-over format as the countdown to the 2027 World Cup begins.
They’ll be joined by fellow T20 freelancer Lockie Ferguson, who’ll be in line to play his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup in India. Ferguson, 35, has proven to be a formidable weapon in 50-over cricket, and is stuck on 99 wickets from his 65 matches.
But with pace expected to come to the fore at the World Cup, his place is welcome for Walter and white-ball captain Mitchell Santner.
“We’re incredibly lucky to have the depth that we do to have 21 players involved in the series,” said Walter.
“It’s also great to bring guys like Lockie, Finn, and Tim back into the one-day unit. They’re all exciting and explosive players in their own right and are proven match winners.
“For Finn and Tim in particular, we’ve seen what they can do in the T20 arena, and it’s now a great opportunity for them to push their case in the longer format.”
Elsewhere, Rachin Ravindra has been passed fit after suffering a shoulder injury before the season that ruled him out of the five-match T20 series.
He, and a core of Black Caps all-format players, will play the first three matches, before leaving the squad to prepare for the test series.
Test captain Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Glenn Phillips and Nathan Smith will join Ravindra in that group of nine. As a result, Kristian Clarke, Matt Fisher, Nick Kelly and Mitch Hay will join the group, alongside Allen, Seifert and Ferguson.
Henry Nicholls has been left out altogether, while Will O’Rourke has joined the injured list with calf and hamstring injuries, and will also miss the India test series in the hope of being fit for the World Cup.
Black Caps squad games 1-3: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young
Games 4-5: Mitchell Santner, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Lockie Ferguson, Mitch Hay, Nick Kelly, Tim Seifert, Blair Tickner, Will Young
Unavailable to injury: Zak Foulkes (hip flexor), Will O’Rourke (calf), Ben Sears (ankle)
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.