New Zealand captain Tom Latham stressed that his team is focused entirely on their one-off Test against Ireland, dismissing any notion of looking ahead to their upcoming three-match series against England.
The four-day Test begins Wednesday at Stormont in Belfast, where the visitors are clear favorites. New Zealand, ranked fifth in the ICC Test rankings, face an Irish side playing only their 13th red-ball match and their first ever against the Black Caps.
"We're certainly not taking it lightly," Latham told BBC Sport NI. "We have a slightly different squad here, with some players absent due to franchise commitments. But most of the group have Test experience, and it's important to learn from that."
The New Zealand skipper highlighted the challenge of preparing for an opponent with limited Test footage. "There's not a huge amount of footage of Ireland in Tests, so we need to adapt quickly to conditions," he said. "We've played ODIs and T20s here, so we're familiar with this part of the world."
Ireland's Test cricket has been sporadic, and Latham believes more exposure would benefit them. "The more first-class cricket you play, the more you hone your skills. In New Zealand, we play eight first-class games a year back home," he noted.
This Test is Ireland's first on home soil since beating Zimbabwe at the same venue in July 2024. New Zealand, meanwhile, arrive after victories over West Indies and Zimbabwe in their most recent Tests earlier this year.
"Our focus is solely on this match. We want to display our skills and play our brand of cricket as best we can," Latham said. "We know what's coming in a few weeks, but we're not looking past Ireland."