New Zealand wicket-keeper Tom Latham has brushed aside concerns about the hectic traveling they had to do after losing to India in the final group match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. New Zealand had to travel from Dubai to Lahore, Pakistan to face South Africa in the second semi-final of the tournament.

Despite switching between Dubai and Lahore, the Black Caps remain focused on giving their best performance and reaching the final.

Speaking ahead of the game, wicketkeeper Tom Latham dismissed any concerns about the taxing schedule, emphasizing his team's versatility.

"(The scheduling) is something that's out of our control. For us, it is about turning up at each game regardless of where it is and trying to play our best brand of cricket as best we can. Whether it be here or in Pakistan, our focus will obviously be on South Africa,” Latham said before the semi-final on March 5.

New Zealand must rapidly adjust to the conditions in Lahore after laboring on Dubai's slow pitch during their loss to India. Latham suggested that Lahore may provide slightly easier batting conditions, especially later in the innings.

"I think we've seen throughout the games in Pakistan that towards the back end, a little bit of juice settles in and sometimes can be a little bit easier. We'll have to wait and see what sort of surface we get and go from there,” he stated.

"We're fortunate enough we had a Tri-Series in Pakistan against South Africa. So, we've got a chance to look back on those experiences and give it our best in a semi-final, which is pretty cool,” Latham added.

"They've got all bases covered in terms of batting, bowling, and fielding. It's going to be a fantastic game, and I'm sure both teams are really looking forward to it," Latham added.

(Times of India inputs)