Tom Latham

Reliable, technically sound and rarely flustered, Tom Latham has been one of the steadying influences in New Zealand’s batting for more than a decade. The left-hander has built his reputation on patience, discipline and an ability to absorb pressure, while quietly accumulating the runs that have made him a mainstay across formats. Performances in the domestic arena prompted the selectors to fast-track the talented batter into the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe at home, where he made his ODI debut. Although Latham did not taste any major success in that series, he toured the sub-continent with the New Zealand A team, playing List A games against India A and Sri Lanka A later in 2013.

Latham made his Test debut against India in 2014 when Ross Taylor made himself unavailable for the series. It was not a great start, as he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and scored 29 in the second. After putting together consistent performances in domestic cricket, Latham was recalled to the red-ball squad. His Test career began to take shape against Pakistan, where he registered back-to-back centuries. His consistency helped him cement his place in the New Zealand squad. The southpaw was an integral member of the Black Caps' unit at the 2019 World Cup and made a handy contribution in the final, although in a losing cause.

In 2020, Latham got the opportunity to lead New Zealand in the third Test against Australia after Kane Williamson was ruled out due to illness. The technically sound left-hander continued to be a pillar of New Zealand's batting in both Test and ODI cricket, with his ability to manoeuvre spin becoming one of his key strengths. 2022 was one of Latham's most memorable years in Test cricket. He first made 252 at home against Bangladesh in Christchurch before following it up with a century in Karachi during New Zealand's tour of Pakistan.

His ODI form dipped from 2023 onwards, but Latham's experience remained invaluable, and he was an important member of the 2023 World Cup squad. He began the tournament with a couple of fifties, but his form faded as the competition progressed and New Zealand bowed out in the semi-finals. 2024 marked a new chapter in Latham's career when he was appointed New Zealand's full-time Test captain following Tim Southee's resignation after a 2-0 series defeat in Sri Lanka. His leadership journey could not have had a better start. In his first series as captain, he led New Zealand to a historic 3-0 whitewash against India, the first time an away side had achieved a clean sweep in a Test series on Indian soil.

The captaincy brought fresh challenges through 2025. New Zealand reached the final of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan before falling to India. On the personal front, Latham endured a lean run with the bat in Tests, going nearly three years without a century before ending the drought with a hundred against the West Indies at home late in the year. 2026 continued to add to Latham's captaincy resume. He led the Black Caps to an innings win over Ireland in the countries' first-ever Test meeting before guiding New Zealand to a 2-1 series win away in England, a rare and hard-earned triumph for a Kiwi side in English conditions.