Fast bowlers Fisher, O’Rourke, Tickner return to New Zealand squads for Bangladesh tour

Fast bowlers Matt Fisher, Will O'Rourke, and Blair Tickner have been named in the New Zealand squads for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Bangladesh, returning to international cricket following injury layoffs.

Test captain Tom Latham will lead both the one-day international and Twenty20 international sides. Regular white-ball captain Mitch Santner is unavailable due to commitments with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

O'Rourke returns to the ODI squad after recovering from a back injury, while Fisher joins the T20I side following a shin issue. Tickner, recovering from an ankle injury, has been named in both 15-man squads.

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said the return of the fast bowlers is crucial for managing workloads in the modern game.

"Will, Blair and Matt have been working very hard over the past few months to get themselves back on the park and back in contention for selection," Walter said. 

The tour also marks a recall for off-spinning allrounder Dean Foxcroft, who has not played a T20I since April 2024. Foxcroft earned his spot following a strong domestic season where he finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the Ford Trophy, helping the Central Stags reach the final. 

Several players, including Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, and Ben Sears, will join the national team directly from the New Zealand A one-day series in Sri Lanka. 

Clarke and Jayden Lennox are set for their second ODI appearances following New Zealand's historic away series victory against India in January.

During that tour, Clarke took seven wickets across three matches, while Lennox maintained an economy rate of 4.20 over 20 overs. Lennox is also in line for a potential T20I format debut. 

The team will depart New Zealand on April 13. The first ODI is scheduled to begin on April 17.

New Zealand ODI Squad: Tom Latham (captain), Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Henry Nicholls, Will O'Rourke, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young.

New Zealand T20I Squad: Tom Latham (captain), Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Dane Cleaver, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Bevon Jacobs, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner.