Kelly, Abbas called up for Pakistan ODIs, Latham to captain

New Zealand has named a preliminary squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan, with Nick Kelly and Mohammad Abbas receiving call-ups. The series, in the one-day format, will begin next Saturday at McLean Park in Napier.

Key regular players such as Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Glenn Phillips will miss the series due to their participation in the IPL. In their place, the squad has also included 22-year-old Aadi Ashok, who made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in 2023.

Kelly, the captain of Wellington Firebirds this season, has been in fantastic form in domestic cricket over the past few years. The 31-year-old has accumulated 1,307 runs in the 2024-25 season across all formats, including his fifth List A century (118) against Canterbury in February. Currently, Kelly tops the Plunket Shield run-scoring charts with 749 runs, including four centuries.

On the other hand, Abbas, who played for New Zealand 'A' against Australia 'A' last summer, has scored 340 runs in the Ford Trophy and made his first List A century (104) against Central Stags in February. The 21-year-old all-rounder was born in Pakistan but immigrated to New Zealand at a young age. Abbas is a promising batter and could play an important role as an extra bowling option for the team.

With the absence of regular players, particularly Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Glenn Phillips, who are busy with IPL camps, New Zealand has given young players an opportunity in the squad. Tom Latham will lead the team as captain.

New Zealand ODI Squad:
Tom Latham (Captain), Mohammad Abbas, Aadi Ashok, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Mitch Hey, Nick Kelly, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young.

Series Schedule:
1st ODI – Saturday, March 29 – McLean Park, Napier
2nd ODI – Wednesday, April 2 – Seddon Park, Hamilton
3rd and Final ODI – Saturday, April 5 – Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.