Penpix of the New Zealand squad that will play the cricket World Cup final against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday
Brendon McCullum, 33. Top-order batsman. 248 matches. 5,808 runs. High score: 166
The former wicketkeeper shelved the gloves due to a back issue that has dogged him for more than five years. Exhilarating hitter with exceptional bat speed. Has floated up and down the order in recent years but has given the co-hosts a flying start as an opener. He has scored four half-centuries at the World Cup with a strike-rate of almost 192. An inventive, aggressive captain and exceptional fielder who leads by example.
Martin Guptill, 28. Top-order batsman. 107 matches. 3,724 runs. High score: 237*
An aggressive pure-striking batsman, Guptill scored a century on debut in 2009 and set the tournament alight with an unbeaten 237 in the quarter-final against West Indies. He is New Zealand's top-scorer in the World Cup with 532 runs with two hundreds and a fifty. He is a superb cover fielder and boundary rider with a strong arm.
Kane Williamson, 24. Top-order batsman. 73 matches. 2,674 runs. High Score: 145*
The glue that holds New Zealand's batting together, Williamson was once considered too slow a scorer to be a threat in limited overs matches. However, he worked on his game and now has a career strike rate over 80 and average of 45. He came into the tournament in the form of his life but has scored one fifty at the World Cup and has failed to convert the starts into big scores.
Ross Taylor, 31, Top-order batsman. 158 matches. 5,094 runs. High Score: 131*
An aggressive, exciting batsman, the controversy of his removal as captain two years ago appears behind him and the team. Taylor has matured in the past two years and has spent a lot of time trying to eradicate the slog-sweep to deep mid-wicket. Suffered a lean patch against Sri Lanka but came right at the end of the series and scored an unbeaten century against Pakistan on Feb. 3. He played a crucial 56 in their narrow win against Bangladesh in the pool stage.
Tom Latham, 22. Batsman/occasional wicketkeeper. 26 matches. 502 runs. High Score: 86
A former front row forward at high school, where he became friends with 2014 World Rugby Player of the Year Brodie Retallick, he is the son of former New Zealand opener Rod Latham, who played in the 1992 World Cup. Established himself as a solid test opener, but is yet to get a game in the tournament. Technique and temperament probably better suited to open or number three than come in later and throw the bat at the ball.
Corey Anderson, 24. All-rounder. 34 matches. 918 runs. 50 wickets. High Score: 131*
Best Bowling 5/63. Anderson was the youngest player to be offered a New Zealand first-class contract at 16. Built like a rugby loose forward, he briefly held the world record for the fastest one-day international century from 36 balls against West Indies in 2014, hammering 14 sixes in his 131 not out. He has excelled both with the bat and the ball at the tournament, scoring 231 runs with two fifties and 14 wickets.
Grant Elliott, 36. All-rounder. 66 matches. 1,526 runs. 29 wickets. High Score: 115. Best Bowling: 4-31
The surprise selection in the team after an absence of 14 months. The South African-raised right hander is calm and deliberate when batting, as shown in the recent Sri Lanka series as he kept the scoreboard ticking over while other players attacked. A canny medium pace bowler with well disguised slower deliveries and a solid fielder. He scored a crucial 84 not out in New Zealand's semi-final win over South Africa, including a six to overhaul the target in the final over.
Luke Ronchi, 33. Wicketkeeper. 48 matches. 985 runs. 74 dismissals. High Score: 170*
New Zealand-born, Australia-raised Ronchi played four one-day internationals for Australia in 2008 but moved back to his country of birth three years ago. A hard hitting and free flowing batsman he will close the innings for the team. Scored 170 not out in a world record sixth-wicket stand with Elliott in Dunedin in late January. He has been neat behind the stumps but has failed to fire with the bat.
Daniel Vettori, 36. Left arm spin bowler/all-rounder. 294 matches. 2,244 runs. 305 wickets. High Score: 83 Best Bowling: 5-7
Entering his fourth World Cup, the former captain battled Achilles injuries for more than two years and is expected to bow out afterwards. Widely considered as one of the best limited overs bowlers in the world, his variation of flight and pace compensate for a lack of turn. Primarily seen as tying up one end and building scoreboard pressure as McCullum uses his other bowlers to attack at the opposite end. Vettori has conceded under four runs an over for his 15 wickets in the tournament.
Nathan McCullum, 34. Off-spin bowler/all-rounder. 78 matches. 1,030 runs. 55 wickets. High Score: 65 Best Bowling: 3-24
The elder brother of captain Brendon, he took over as the automatic choice as the team's spinner after Vettori suffered injury. A tidy, compact bowler he extracts more turn than the left armer. Is also a better fielder and a handy, aggressive tail ender batsman who could prove to be an able ally for Ronchi and Elliott to finish innings. But the seamer-friendly conditions and Vettori's success has meant he has not got a game at the World Cup.
Kyle Mills, 36. Fast medium bowler. 170 matches. 240 wickets. Best Bowling: 5-25
The warhorse of the team, he missed the 2007 World Cup through injury and was invalided out of the 2011 tournament. He suffered a groin strain against Pakistan in UAE and was sent home to recuperate but met a deadline to play in the recent Sri Lanka series. Extremely competitive, he has been involved in on field confrontations, particularly against South Africa. Good change of pace and movement off the seam. Once a handy tail-end batter, that has fallen away over time. With the rest of the pace battery in prime form, he has not got a game.
Tim Southee, 26. Fast medium bowler. 93 matches. 131 wickets. Best Bowling: 7-33
The leader of the bowling attack, Southee has developed a world class test partnership with Boult. Generates a lot of swing at good pace and at times can be unplayable. Had a superb 2011 World Cup finishing with 18 wickets at 17.33. Also possesses a safe set of hands and can be a punishing batsman, noted for accelerating the innings rather than settling it down. Southee mowed down England with seven wickets and has bagged 15 so far, but gone off the boil since.
Trent Boult, 25. Fast medium bowler. 24 matches. 39 wickets. Best Bowling: 5-27
The left-arm swing bowler has been mostly overlooked for the limited overs teams after establishing himself as a test bowler. Can move the ball both ways in the air and off the pitch and has formed a strong new-ball partnership with Southee. A superb fielder as evidenced by several athletic catches at point or in the outfield. He is currently the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 21 scalps.
Mitchell McClenaghan, 28. Medium fast bowler. 35 matches. 66 wickets. Best Bowling: 5-58
The aggressive left armer made an immediate impact with 4-20 off 10 overs against South Africa on debut. Became the second fastest man to 50 ODI wickets in 23 matches. Can be expensive but takes wickets in bunches and extracts surprising pace and bounce off a length on New Zealand pitches. He got a single match, against Bangladesh, but conceded 68 without a wicket.
Matt Henry, 23. Medium fast bowler. Nine matches. 21 wickets. Best bowling: 5-30
A fiery fast bowler, who bowls consistently above the 140 kph mark, Henry was unlucky to miss the World Cup squad despite performing well in the handful of matches he played. Drafted in as a replacement for fast bowler Adam Milne. He was at his cousin's engagement party when he found out he was in the team. He was brought straight in to the New Zealand team for the semi-final against South Africa and produced a fine opening spell but failed to take a wicket, giving away 40 runs.
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