NZ, BD name Champions Trophy squads

The Blackcaps squad will also feature in tri-series before the ICC event

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday, announced their squads for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025, slated to be held in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9.

Bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner, who took the realm of New Zealand's white-ball teams last month, will lead the contingent in the upcoming eight-team tournament and preceding tri-nation series against hosts Pakistan and South Africa, scheduled to run from February 8 to 14.

The squad features a mix of senior and junior players, including an emerging pace trio of Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears and Nathan Smith, who will be featuring in their maiden senior ICC event.

Santner, who will be leading New Zealand for the first time in a men's senior ICC event, will serve as the frontline spinner but will be supported by all-rounders Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra. Right-arm pacer Matt Henry will lead New Zealand's pace bowling attack, further bolstered by the experienced speedster Lockie Ferguson.

Former captain Kane Williamson will lead the Blackcaps' batting unit, comprised Ravindra, Devon Conway and Will Young, Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman.

Furthermore, the NZC also named right-arm pacer Jacob Duffy as the stand-by player and will be included in the main squad if Ferguson becomes unavailable due to ILT20 play-off commitments.

The Blackcaps, drawn in Group A, will start their Champions Trophy 2025 against hosts Pakistan in the curtain raiser in Karachi on February 19. New Zealand squad for Champions Trophy 2025 and tri-nation series:

Mitchell Santner (c) (Northern Districts), Michael Bracewell (Wellington Firebirds), Mark Chapman (Auckland Aces), Devon Conway (Wellington Firebirds), Lockie Ferguson (Auckland Aces), Matt Henry (Canterbury), Tom Latham (Canterbury), Daryl Mitchell (Canterbury), Will O'Rourke (Canterbury), Glenn Phillips (Otago Volts), Rachin Ravindra (Wellington Firebirds), Ben Sears (Wellington Firebirds), Nathan Smith (Wellington Firebirds), Kane Williamson (Northern Districts), Will Young (Central Stags)

Shakib less Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy, with veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan being a notable absentee. The 37-year-old, who last represented Bangladesh in any format in October 2024, has been banned from bowling in competitions under the jurisdiction of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), based on the outcome of an independent re-assessment of his bowling action, conducted in Chennai last month.

Shakib, however, was eligible to play as a specialist batter but Bangladesh opted to not include him in their squad for the eight-team tournament.

Besides Shakib, Bangladesh will be without another senior player Tamim Iqbal, who called time on his glittering international career earlier this month, despite being approached by white-ball captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and other key members of the side.

Tamim played a pivotal role in leading Bangladesh to the semi-finals of the previous edition of the tournament, held in 2017 in England and Wales.

Meanwhile, other senior players – wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim and all-rounder Mahmudullah – managed to make a cut into the contingent.

Top-order batter Shanto will lead the Asian side in the eight-team tournament as he returned to the side after missing the West Indies tour in November last year.

He is accompanied by Rahim, Towhid Hridoy and Mustafizur Rahman as the senior trio also marked their return.

Bangladesh also handed a maiden ODI call-up to Parvez Hossai Emon, who has played seven T20Is for the Asian side, while prodigious pacer Nahid Rana, who made his debut in the format in recent series against the West Indies, has also managed to retain his place.