Spin bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner will captain New Zealand in the first Test of the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. The series opener is scheduled to take place at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo from July 30 to August 3. Santner, who is the captain of New Zealand’s white-ball teams, will be the 32nd player to captain New Zealand in the five-day format of the game. Santner’s appointment was confirmed after Test captain Tom Latham was ruled out of the first Test on Tuesday (July 29) with a shoulder injury. According to a release shared by New Zealand Cricket on X, “Latham suffered the injury while fielding during a T20 match for Birmingham earlier this month and has not recovered sufficiently to be included in the eleven on Wednesday. He will remain with the squad with the hope he will be fit for the second Test starting August 7.” Squad News | Test captain Tom Latham has been ruled out of the first Test against Zimbabwe with a shoulder injury. In Latham’s absence, white-ball captain Mitch Santner will lead the team, becoming New Zealand’s 32nd men’s Test captain. Full story ⬇️ #ZIMvNZ #CricketNation… — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) July 29, 2025 New Zealand’s head coach, Rob Walter, said Latham’s skillset and leadership would be greatly missed. “It’s hugely disappointing for Tom to be missing the first Test, as captain but also as an integral part of the team,” said Walter. “It’s never great when you lose your captain, who’s a world-class opening batter and a great team man, but that said, we’re going to work really hard to have him available for the second Test. “We’ll continue to assess and see whether a replacement player is necessary, but at this stage we are hopeful that he’ll recover in time.” Walter said the team was in good hands with Santner. “Mitch did a wonderful job with the T20 squad in this recent series. “He was excellent from a strategy point of view, and he has a strong understanding of the game. “Whilst the format is different, he certainly has the respect of the players and will be supported by some highly experienced Test cricketers, so I trust that he’s going to do a great job.” New Zealand’s squad for 1st Test against Zimbabwe: Mitchell Santner (C), Devon Conway, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Ajaz Patel, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell