Left-arm seamer Ben Lister has been added to New Zealand’s white-ball squads for the trip to Bangladesh after all-rounder Kristian Clarke split the webbing on his right hand during New Zealand A’s one-day series in Sri Lanka.
Clarke, who only broke into the senior limited-overs set-up on the recent tour of India, picked up the injury trying to cling on to a catch in the second match against Sri Lanka A. With the cut needing time to heal, the selectors moved quickly, pulling Lister across from the same A-tour.
Lister owns three ODI and a dozen T20I caps, the most recent coming on the 2024 visit to Pakistan. He had also answered an emergency Test call in Zimbabwe last year, so the Aucklander remains very much on the radar. “Opportunities don’t always land in neat little windows,” a team insider admitted on Tuesday, “so Ben’s readiness to switch formats at short notice is valued.”
In a separate shuffle, quick Ben Sears will sit out the three ODIs after signing as an overseas replacement player with Rawalpindiz in the PSL. New Zealand Cricket confirmed he will re-join the squad for the five T20Is and, fitness permitting, should be available from the second match. Rawalpindiz are winless after four games, so his return date could shift if their campaign ends early.
The tour is expected to mark the comeback of pace bowlers Matthew Fisher, Will O’Rourke and Blair Tickner, all returning from recent injuries. Both squads remain under Tom Latham’s captaincy.
Bangladesh, looking to conserve energy amid a global fuel squeeze, have requested earlier start times. The ODI series opens in Dhaka on 17 April, with the T20Is following straight after.
Squad adjustments at a glance
– In: Ben Lister (ODI & T20I squads)
– Out: Kristian Clarke (injured)
– Partial: Ben Sears (T20Is only)
It’s a tidy bit of juggling rather than a full-scale rethink, yet it underlines how swiftly tours can shift.
