Tom Latham, who could be New Zealand’s next ODI captain, said the team needs to be more flexible as players choose franchise deals over central contracts.
Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson, and Adam Milne opted out of the latest contracts. Williamson, who will play in the SA20 in January, got a casual agreement because he is still a key player. Although Williamson will miss only a few matches against Sri Lanka, his new arrangement shows a significant change in the game, following Trent Boult’s decision two years ago to focus on T20 leagues.
Latham commented, “Cricket in New Zealand is changing with all these leagues popping up. It’s not a black-and-white situation, and everyone’s future may look different depending on their age and stage in life. We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up, including the Champions Trophy. Whether we play with different personnel or the usual guys, we need to be flexible.”
New Zealand often plays white-ball series without key players due to rotation or IPL clashes, which will happen again next season against Pakistan. Latham mentioned that while the current contract system has worked well, it might be time to review it to fit the modern game.
“There is a lot of flexibility in our contracts, but with cricket’s changing landscape, New Zealand Cricket and the players’ association might need to come up with a new system,” he said. “When senior players are absent, it gives others a chance to step up and take on leadership roles. It’s not ideal to miss players like Kane, but it provides opportunities for others to shine.”
Tom Latham’s captaincy ambitions
Tom Latham isn’t facing the same choice between international and franchise cricket as some others since he mainly plays Tests and ODIs. “There’s no Test franchise stuff… if that comes out, that would be great,” he joked.
He was planning to play in the Global T20 tournament in Canada to get more T20 experience but broke his finger in training, sidelining him for four weeks. This shouldn’t affect his availability for New Zealand’s Test matches starting in September, where they’ll play Afghanistan before touring Sri Lanka and India.
Latham is also a strong candidate to become the next ODI captain after Kane Williamson stepped down. He has frequently stepped in as captain, leading in 44 ODIs, including last year’s World Cup when Williamson was injured.
“It would be a real honor,” Latham said. “I’ve always focused on putting the team first. If I get the chance to be captain, it would be really special.”
However, if New Zealand Cricket (NZC) wants the same person to lead both white-ball teams, they might consider someone else, as Tim Southee is the current Test captain.
“We haven’t confirmed anything yet, so I don’t want to speculate,” coach Gary Stead said. “But Tom is definitely in the discussions. We want someone in place for the next two to three years, leading up to the next ODI World Cup. That will be a key factor in our decision.”
New Zealand will play six ODIs at home this summer, three against Sri Lanka and three against Pakistan, before joining a tri-series in Pakistan leading up to the Champions Trophy.
