Ben Lister replaces injured Kristian Clarke in NZ squad for Bangladesh tour
Wellington, April 10
Left-arm seamer Ben Lister has been recalled to New Zealand's ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh as a replacement for the injured Kristian Clarke.
Lister, who last played for New Zealand more than two years ago, has been drafted into the squad after sustaining a laceration to the webbing of his right hand while attempting to take a catch for the New Zealand A in their second one-day match against Sri Lanka A earlier this week.
The 30-year-old seamer has four and 11 scalps from three ODI and 12 T20I appearances, respectively, for New Zealand. "Lister, who is also part of the New Zealand A one-day squad in Sri Lanka, will link up with the BLACKCAPS in Bangladesh on Sunday ahead of the ODI series which gets underway in Mirpur on Friday," said New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in a statement.
NZC further said pacer Ben Sears has been ruled out of the ODI leg of the tour of Bangladesh after being signed as a late replacement by Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Rawalpindiz.
"Sears won't be replaced in the BlackCaps ODI squad for Bangladesh and will instead join up for the T20 series which gets underway in Chattogram on Thursday April 30," added NZC.
The New Zealand-based members of the contingent are scheduled to depart for Bangladesh on Monday morning. The first two matches of the ODI series will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, while the final game is scheduled to be held at the Bir Shreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram.
The action then shifts to the T20I series with back-to-back fixtures in Chattogram on April 27 and 29, while the final game will be held in Dhaka on May 2. New Zealand will come to Bangladesh on the back of being runners-up at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup before losing a home T20I series to South Africa 3-2.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting to see players being pulled for PSL like Ben Sears. The franchise league calendar is really starting to clash with international tours now. Must be a headache for the NZC selectors.
As an Indian fan, I always enjoy watching NZ play. They bring good spirit to the game. Hope the pitches in Mirpur and Chattogram offer something for the bowlers. Best of luck to both teams! 🤞
The article mentions NZ were runners-up in the 2026 T20 WC? That's a typo, right? It's 2024. Anyway, injuries are part of the game. Hope Clarke recovers soon. These bilateral series are good for teams to build bench strength.
Bangladesh needs to win this series to build confidence. Their home record is strong. NZ missing a few key players might level the playing field. Should be a cracker of a contest!
Respectfully, the scheduling seems a bit messy. Players flying between Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh, and PSL. The focus should be on representing the country first, but I understand the financial pull of leagues.
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