ICC World Cup, NZ vs SL: New Zealand Predicted XI - Key player’s fitness a concern

Cricket World Cup: Tom Latham is not entirely fit but the management wants to wait before taking a call. Stead confirmed that if he is passed fit, he will take the gloves, which could well mean that Tom Blundell, who smacked a century against West Indies in the warm-up clash will have to wait for his chance to make a debut.

There is a sense of unease in the New Zealand camp, and this is what we have become used to with the Black Caps in ICC Tournaments - no one really sits up and talks about them, but then the old narrative of ‘punching above your weight’ gets thrown in and New Zealand find a mention.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson, right, and Ross Taylor run between the wickets to score during the Cricket World Cup warm up match between India and New Zealand at The Oval in London, Saturday, May 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) (AP)

It is much the same this year too, and New Zealand are quietly finding their feet. There are a few injury concerns in the side and their coach Gary Stead admits there ware more than a “few little niggles” but then quickly brushes it all away with the jarring “everyone-plays-with-niggles” theory.

Tom Latham is not entirely fit but the management wants to wait before taking a call. Stead confirmed that if he is passed fit, he will take the gloves, which could well mean that Tom Blundell, who smacked a century against West Indies in the warm-up clash will have to wait for his chance to make a debut.

ICC WORLD CUP 2019 - FULL COVERAGE

“We have got a few little niggles in the camp that we’re just monitoring at that moment and that may have a bearing on what [playing XI] we go for. Colin got hit on the foot and so we just want to make sure it’s all good. We’ve got a couple of other ones but I mean I hope that’s not going to rule them out. It’s just a little bit early to say,” coach Gary Stead said.

They take on Sri Lanka in their first match and would want to find the right combination and get things rolling in the right direction. Led by Kane Williamson, New Zealand will once again punch above their weight, provided they have fit and firing players.

Here is their predicted XI for the game:

Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult