Auckland, October 19, (NationPress) Kane Williamson and Nathan Smith have been selected for New Zealand's 14-member squad for the forthcoming three-match ODI series against England. Both athletes last took the field in the Champions Trophy final against India in March but were sidelined at the beginning of the home summer due to injury issues.

Williamson has spent the last month recuperating from a minor health concern, while Smith has been undergoing rehabilitation for an abdominal injury he incurred during the first Test against Zimbabwe in August.

The duo joins a seasoned squad for the three-match series, captained by Mitchell Santner, with 23-year-old Zak Foulkes being the only player included who wasn’t part of the Champions Trophy campaign.

Foulkes, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, and Matt Henry will constitute the same specialized pace-bowling unit from the T20 series against England, alongside Santner, Smith, Michael Bracewell, and Rachin Ravindra as all-rounders.

Williamson will join Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Ravindra, and Will Young as the specialist batters, with Tom Latham taking the role of wicket-keeper-batsman.

Injuries have kept Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring) out of contention.

New Zealand's coach Rob Walter expressed his enthusiasm about welcoming Williamson and Smith back into the fold.

“Kane and Nathan have put in considerable effort to recover from their injuries and illness. We recognize Kane's significance to the BLACKCAPS - his skill, experience, and leadership are invaluable to the team,” he stated.

“Nathan is still relatively early in his international career, but he has shown remarkable all-round capabilities and fielding prowess.”

Walter is eager to collaborate with the one-day squad for the first time.

“The ODI team has enjoyed consistent success, as reflected in our current ICC ranking of number two,” he remarked.

“We possess an experienced core of players, and collectively, we are clear on our playing strategy. This marks the beginning of our journey towards the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2027, and the group is thrilled to commence this series against a formidable England team.”

New Zealand's ODI squad will assemble in Tauranga two days before the opening match on October 26. The second match is set for October 29 in Hamilton, with the series concluding with the final ODI in Wellington on November 1.

New Zealand ODI squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.