New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has been named to lead his country in his final one-day series against Australia next month, providing he can prove his fitness.
Captain Kane Williamson led from the front with a superb century before his bowlers held their nerves in a close finish to help New Zealand edge past India by six runs in the second One-Day International in New Delhi, on Thursday.
Uncapped batsman Henry Nicholls has been called into New Zealand's one-day squad for the start of the five-match series against Sri Lanka, while pace duo Trent Boult and Tim Southee have been rested.
New Zealand are paying little attention to their World Cup rivals' form in the group stage of the tournament as every team that reaches the knockout rounds have potential match winners in the side, spinner Daniel Vettori said on Sunday.
Swing bowler Kyle Mills will captain New Zealand for the first time on his country's limited overs tour of Sri Lanka later this month after Kane Williamson was ruled out with a broken and dislocated thumb.
IMAGES from the Day-Night Test, the first played between New Zealand and England at Auckland on Thursday
Tom Latham struck his maiden Test century but New Zealand crumbled to 262 all out, conceding a 304-run first-innings lead as well as control of the first Test to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
New Zealand and Bangladesh enter their final group match of the ICC Champions Trophy, in Cardiff, on Friday, with the knowledge that even a win may not be enough to see either of them into the semi-finals.
Kane Williamson believes the late Martin Crowe remains the greatest batsmen New Zealand has ever produced despite surpassing the former captain as his country's highest Test century maker on Friday.
Kane Williamson will get another chance to prove his leadership credentials after being named New Zealand captain for limited overs series.
Bangladesh completed a 3-0 sweep over New Zealand after a stunning four-wicket victory in the third ODI in Fatullah on Sunday. Shamsur Rahman's 96 took the home side to 309-6, steaming past New Zealand's 307 with four balls and four wickets to spare at the packed Khan Shaheb Osman Ali stadium, just outside Dhaka.
James Faulkner has earned his reputation as Australia's man for every occasion the hard way. Whether it's with bat or ball, the all-rounder has become the player Australia's team can always rely on to get them out of pickle.
The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa's imposing total on Tuesday to advance to their first cricket World Cup final is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohesive unit over the last two years.
Rubel Hossain claimed six wickets including a hat-trick as Bangladesh crushed New Zealand by 43 runs in the first one-day international on Tuesday, thereby taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Ahmed Shehzad struck his third Test century as Pakistan completely dominated the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi to reach 269 for one and stay on course for a mammoth first-innings total on Sunday.
Rain forced the first Test between New Zealand and West Indies to be abandoned as a draw after tea on the fifth and final day at University Oval in Dunedin on Saturday.
Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand in Mohali on Tuesday with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home. Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC's world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event. New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rivals Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
Virat Kohli (fourth), Shikhar Dhawan (seventh) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (ninth) have also maintained their respective positions in the ICC ODI batting chart.
The India right-hander has 862 points in his kitty, still 25 points behind AB de Villiers of South Africa, who is heading the list.
Bangladesh put in a disciplined performance in the field to restrict New Zealand to 145-8 in a World Twenty20 Super 10 stage match at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
India have won six ODI series on the trot. New Zealand have never won an ODI series in India.
Trent Boult produced an economical spell of bowling to take three wickets and help New Zealand to a tense three-run win over Sri Lanka in their first Twenty20 international on Thursday.
The Indian cricket team has a chance to go up a rung and be third in the ICC rankings if it beats England in the upcoming five-Test series starting July 9.
J P Duminy blasted an unbeaten 86 and Dale Steyn bowled a sensational last over as South Africa pulled of a dramatic two-run victory over New Zealand to bring their ICC World Twenty20 campaign back on track, in Chittagong, on Monday.
Virat Kohli hit a splendid century but Mitchell McClenaghan claimed four wickets to lift New Zealand to a thrilling 24-run victory against India in the first One-Day International in Napier.
McCullum was 143 not out at the close of play, his eighth Test century, while Williamson was dismissed after tea for 113, his fifth hundred, as the Kiwis finished the opening day on a strong 329 for four in 90 overs.
Opener Tom Latham struck his second consecutive hundred to keep New Zealand on course for a big first-innings total on the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan on Monday. Opting to bat first after winning the toss at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the visitors, trailing 1-0 in the three-Test series, reached 243 for three wickets at the close.
Kane Williamson hit a fourth Test hundred to put New Zealand on top on the first day of their opening Test against Bangladesh on Wednesday. The visitors, who chose to bat after winning the toss, reached 280 for five at stumps with the last two wickets falling in the last two overs of the day on a slow and low surface in Chittagong.
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New Zealand openers Peter Fulton and Hamish Rutherford safely negotiated their way to the close of play on the third day of the third Test against West Indies on Saturday after their bowlers had set up a likely victory with a destructive display.
Photos of the World Cup Pool A game between Afghanistan and New Zealand being played in Napier
Hosts England became the first team to qualify for the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals after hammering New Zealand by 87 runs to stay top of Group A at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Tuesday.
After a comfortable outing in the tournament-opener against Bangladesh, title favourites England are set to face a much stiffer test against New Zealand in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy Group A fixture in Cardiff, on Tuesday.
Mominul Haque struck an unbeaten century as Bangladesh battled back bravely against New Zealand to leave the second Test and series up for grabs after an entertaining fourth day in Mirpur on Thursday.
Captain Brendon McCullum's blistering double hundred and a record 297-run stand with centurion Kane Williamson put New Zealand firmly in control of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah on Saturday.
Sarfraz Ahmed struck a defiant century before Pakistan's spinners wrecked New Zealand's top and middle order to leave the second Test in Dubai nicely poised on Thursday. New Zealand had reduced Pakistan to 287 for eight and appeared on course for a healthy first innings lead, but Sarfraz (112) added 81 runs for the last wicket with Rahat Ali to dash their hopes.
Supremely positive, aggressive and efficient, the Black Caps amply justified their status as the world's third-ranked Test side in a 1-1 draw with their hosts which fluctuated from the first ball to the last. New Zealand are a team to be reckoned with.
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill sent the ball soaring and the records tumbling by striking a World Cup record of 237.
Images from the World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand, at the MCG.
New Zealand beat the West Indies by four wickets in the second Twenty20 international at Wellington on Wednesday to win the series 2-0 and add to their 2-0 success in the Tests.
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