ZIM vs NZ 2025: Zak Foulkes replaces injured Nathan Smith in BlackCaps squad

Young New Zealand all-rounder Nathan Smith picked up an abdominal strain, which has now ruled him out for the second and final match of the ongoing Test series against Zimbabwe. To fill his void, the BlackCaps have added young pacer and handy batter Zakary Foulkes to the Test squad for the first time. Foulkes has played 14 international games for New Zealand so far, 13 of them being in the shortest format of the game. 

Notably, this is the third injury blow to the New Zealand side in the two-match series. Previously, mainstay skipper Tom Latham was ruled out due to an injury concerning one of his shoulders. A little earlier, star all-rounder Glenn Phillips also had to withdraw himself out of the squad for a groin injury he underwent during the recently concluded Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 in the United States.

The 23-year-old Foulkes has had a promising start to his international career, with 15 wickets in 13 games and an economy rate well under 8.00. He has had seven outings with the bat and his strike-rate has remained at 143.90, which is fantastic. However, the dynamics of Test cricket are completely different, which he will learn if an opportunity to take the field for the second game against the Chevrons comes his way.

Kiwis flying 1-0 high

Speaking of the upcoming encounter, the second Test is scheduled to get underway on August 7 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The visitors have already taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series with a win in the first game at the same venue, as they chased down an 8-run target set by the hosts in the fourth innings, which made the win a mere formality.

New Zealand Updated Squad for second Test vs Zimbabwe, 2025

Will Young, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke, Mitchell Santner, Mitchell Hay, Tom Blundell, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, Ben Lister, and Ajaz Patel