Dean Foxcroft

A powerful middle-order batter who can also bowl quick offspin, Dean Foxcroft was born in Pretoria and represented South Africa in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup before moving to New Zealand.

He contemplated giving up his Black Caps dream, though, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and stringent border restrictions locked him out of New Zealand for two years after he had returned home to Pretoria in 2020 to visit his family and take some exams.

Foxcroft's New Zealand career, however, took off in 2023 when he was called up to the T20I side for the tour of the UAE. He eventually qualified for New Zealand after having received eligibility approval from the ICC under its "exceptional circumstances" criteria.

Foxcroft was rewarded with captaincy at Otago after a productive 2022-23 season in which he was named the domestic player of the year. He stepped down from the role ahead of the 2024-25 domestic season to focus on his own game and family.