Tom Latham To Lead New Zealand: After testing positive for COVID-19 on the night of the match, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson will miss the second Test against England. The second Test between England and New Zealand begins on Friday at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

England has a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series.

Kane Williamson, according to sources, performed a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on Thursday after feeling minimal symptoms. He must now spend the next five days in seclusion. The coronavirus was found to be absent in the remainder of the team.

“It’s such a pity Kane has to withdraw on the eve of such a crucial match,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “We’re all worried about him right now, and we know how disappointed he’ll be.

Williamson was also recovering from a left elbow tendon issue. After missing New Zealand’s previous series against Bangladesh and South Africa, as well as the second and final Test in India in November 2021, he returned to captain the side in the Lord’s Test. In those games, Latham was filling in as captain.

Kane Williamson’s replacement in the New Zealand team for the second Test is Hamish Rutherford, 33. Tom Latham will captain the Kiwis in Williamson’s absence.

“Hamish was with the Test team earlier in the trip and has been playing in the Vitality T20 Blast for the Leicestershire Foxes,” Stead explained.

Colin De Grandhomme has already left New Zealand. The all-rounder sustained an injury to his right leg and is anticipated to miss 10 to 12 weeks of activity.

Three members of the traveling group — Henry Nicholls, Blair Tickner, and Shane Jurgensen — were forced to isolate themselves before the start of the series after testing positive in Brighton.

Ben Stokes and his team won the Lord’s Test by five wickets. On June 23, the third and final Test at Headingley, Leeds, will begin.

New Zealand defeated India in the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. The reigning champions, on the other hand, have struggled so far in the 2021-23 season.

With 33.33 PCT, they are not sixth in the nine-team championship. With 19.23 PCT, England is in ninth place.