Tom Latham finished? Mitchell Santner set to continue as Test captain vs Zimbabwe
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New Zealand red-ball skipper Tom Latham has failed to recover from the shoulder injury, as a result of which Mitchell Santner will continue as the skipper for the second Test against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo.
New Zealand is currently playing a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe, who recently hosted a tri-nation series against New Zealand and South Africa. The T20I series concluded in New Zealand's favour as the BlackCaps won all matches in the tri-series.
New Zealand also won the first Test comfortably, and the stand-in skipper Santner performed significantly with the ball to pave the way for a victory for the Kiwis.
Tom Latham fails to recover; Mitchell Santner to continue as Kiwi red-ball captain
New Zealand's Test captain, Tom Latham, who was ruled out of the first Test due to a shoulder injury, has been undergoing rehabilitation but was unable to clear the fitness Test on the eve of the second match, as a result of which Santner had to continue his role for the second match as well.
"He's (Tom Latham) been working hard and had been tracking well towards the second Test, but unfortunately, today he couldn't pass his fitness tests," Rob Walter said. "He's extremely gutted he won't be able to take the park, and we're really feeling for him."
Santner became the 32nd Test captain in the history of New Zealand Cricket. However, he does not assume the role of a regular skipper, as his appointment is only as a stand-in skipper due to the unavailability of Tom Latham.
Bevon Jacobs replaces Tom Latham
New Zealand management and Rob Walter needed an extra pair of hands on the side in Latham's absence; hence, they had to opt for an immediate replacement who could be available instantaneously.
The Auckland Aces batter, Bevon Jacobs, who was also picked by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been drafted into the squad as a fielding and batting cover. The 23-year-old was playing club cricket in Johannesburg and could fly in on short notice.
"With Tom being ruled out on the eve of the match, we needed to quickly bring in an extra pair of hands," Walter said. "Thankfully, Bevon had been playing in Johannesburg and was able to make the short trip."
New Zealand are yet to begin their WTC 2025-27 cycle
The Champions of the 2021 ICC World Test Championship have failed to see through to any further finals of the WTC, be it in 2023 or 2025. However, New Zealand has not put on a disappointing performance, yet they have failed owing to various reasons.
Currently, the series against Zimbabwe is not a part of the WTC, since Zimbabwe is not among the 9 Test-playing nations of the ICC considered for the WTC cycle. New Zealand is yet to begin their WTC campaign, as that would be initiated with the home series against the West Indies, which has been scheduled to begin in December 2025.
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New Zealand National Cricket Team Zimbabwe National Cricket Team New Zealand vs Zimbabwe Mitchell Santner Tom Latham Bevon Jacobs
