Warwickshire Confirms Signing of New Zealand Captain Tom Latham for 2025 Season

Warwickshire has announced the signing of New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham for the 2025 season. The 32-year-old left-handed opener, who is currently skippering the Kiwis in their series against England down under, will be available to the Bears for all three formats. Latham made his first of 259 New Zealand international appearances in February 2012. Latham shared his thoughts on the move, stating: “I’ve played at Edgbaston before and know how much the fans get behind the team there. It’s one of my favourite venues. It’ll also be nice to bring the family to Birmingham and spend some time exploring the city. And I’d love nothing more than to help the Bears lift a trophy.” The cricketer has accumulated more than 250 international appearances for his country, including his 86th Test appearance against England in Christchurch, where he scored 47 runs in the New Zealand first innings. He will join a Bears side that secured only one victory in 14 County Championship games last season, finishing seventh and avoiding relegation by 25 points. The team also experienced a fifth consecutive loss in the T20 Blast quarter-finals. Warwickshire performance director Gavin Larsen, a fellow Kiwi, commented on the acquisition: “We’ve been working behind the scenes to bring in someone to strengthen our top order, someone with proven ability and experience. Tom fits the bill ideally. The New Zealand team has limited conflict with our domestic cricket calendar next season. In this modern cricket world it’s rare to have a player of Tom’s quality and experience to be available for an entire season. He’s a class player, one of the finest batters in international cricket, and I’m delighted he’s chosen Warwickshire. He’s known more for his red-ball career, but Tom has played more than 100 T20s during his career, averaging 30 and with a strike rate of 131. He’s an extremely smart T20 player with a full range of strokes, another great option for our Blast campaign. And he’ll also bring experience and leadership.” Latham, who first represented his country in February 2012 at the age of 19, previously led New Zealand to a historic 3-0 Test whitewash against India in his inaugural series as skipper.