Champions Trophy: ‘Scheduling is out of our control,’ NZ’s Latham ahead of semi-final against SA

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham stressed his team's "anywhere, anytime" mindset ahead of their ICC Champions Trophy semi-final clash against South Africa. Acknowledging that tournament scheduling is beyond their control, Latham said that their focus remains on delivering their best performance, regardless of the conditions or venue.

Returning from Dubai, where they struggled on a slow and low pitch against India, New Zealand is now preparing to adjust back to Lahore’s conditions in time for their crucial semifinal on Wednesday. Speaking to the media, Latham made it clear that the Black Caps are not looking for excuses.

"(The scheduling) is something that is out of our control," Latham said, as quoted by the ICC. "For us, it’s about turning up for each game, no matter where it is, and playing our best brand of cricket. Our focus now is on South Africa."

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Reflecting on past matches in Lahore, Latham noted that conditions often improve for batting later in the game. "We’ve seen throughout the games in Pakistan that towards the back end, a little bit of juice settles in, and sometimes it can be a bit easier to bat. We’ll have to wait and see what kind of surface we get and adapt accordingly," he added.

New Zealand will take confidence from their recent win over South Africa at the same venue during a tri-series with Pakistan. In that match, they chased down 304 with eight balls to spare. Latham confirmed that the Kiwis would draw on that experience heading into the high-stakes encounter.

"We were fortunate to have played a tri-series in Pakistan, including matches against South Africa," he said. "We’ll look back on those experiences and give it our best shot in a semifinal, which is a great opportunity."

Despite their recent loss to India, New Zealand has been in strong form in 2025, winning eight of their ten ODIs, including the Tri-series final against Pakistan. However, none of those games carried the pressure of an ICC semi-final.

'SA has well-rounded squad'

Meanwhile, South Africa has been in formidable form, having already reached two ICC finals in the past year—the 2024 T20 World Cup final and the upcoming World Test Championship final against Australia. Latham acknowledged the challenge ahead, praising their opponents’ well-rounded squad.

"They have been playing some fantastic cricket," he said. "They’ve got match-winners across their squad and have performed well in these conditions. We know the hard work required to reach the final, and we respect how strong South Africa is."

"They’ve got all bases covered—batting, bowling, and fielding. It should be a fantastic game, and I’m sure both teams are looking forward to it," he signed off.

(With inputs from agencies)