New Zealand begin a four-day Test match against Ireland on Wednesday at Stormont in Belfast, serving as preparation for their upcoming series against England.
The fifth-ranked tourists are heavy favorites against an Irish side playing only their 13th Test and first ever against New Zealand.
Ireland's last home Test was a victory over Zimbabwe at the same venue in July 2024, while New Zealand recorded wins against the West Indies and Zimbabwe in 2025.
Captain Tom Latham said the squad remains fully concentrated on the immediate challenge despite missing several players due to franchise commitments.
"We're certainly not taking it lightly.
We come here with a slightly different squad, some guys not being here through other commitments with franchise stuff," Latham said.
He noted that the available players have sufficient Test experience to navigate the fixture successfully.
"But most of the guys in this group have played Test cricket and it's important to learn from those experiences," Latham added.
The skipper reiterated that the team is prioritizing the current match over their long-term tour schedule.
"We are solely focused on this match and we're looking forward to what the next four days presents," Latham said.
New Zealand intend to implement their specific tactical approach throughout the match.
"We want to come here and display our skills as best we can and play our brand of cricket as best we can," Latham explained.
Latham noted that a lack of recent red-ball footage of Ireland requires his players to adapt in real time.
"From an Ireland point of view there's not a huge amount of footage of Test matches so for us it's really important to adapt on the go and adapt to conditions as quickly as we can," he said.
He expressed confidence based on prior shorter-format tours in the region and hoped for favorable weather.
"We've been here playing ODIs and T20 cricket so we have experienced this part of the world, and these conditions, before," Latham said.
"Fingers crossed, the weather remains sunny like this and we can get a full game in," he added.
After this Test, New Zealand travel to England for a three-Test series at Lord's, the Oval, and Trent Bridge in June.
"We know what we've got coming up in a few weeks but our focus is solely on this Test match," Latham said.
He also addressed Irish cricket's development, suggesting more regular first-class matches would benefit their squad.
"I think from a Test match point of view I guess the experience of playing more and more, you can only gain positive experiences from being in those situations," Latham said.
He emphasized that multi-day domestic cricket is the primary environment for players to refine their skills.
"I think as cricketers the more first-class cricket you can play, it's where you hone your skills," Latham said.
He contrasted the schedules, noting New Zealand plays eight first-class games a year, more than Ireland.
"We play eight first-class games a year back home, which isn't a huge amount, but it's obviously a little more than Ireland play," Latham concluded.
