Ireland vs New Zealand Test: The tourists are focused solely on Ireland ahead of the three-match England series

The New Zealand captain added that his team doesn’t need to do much in terms of watching their opponents in action in the Test format.

“From Ireland’s point of view there isn’t a huge amount of Test match footage so it’s important for us to adapt as we go and adapt to the situation as quickly as possible.

“We have played ODI and T20 cricket here so we have experienced this part of the world and the conditions before.

“Fingers are crossed, the weather stays this sunny and we can get a full game.”

New Zealand will face England at Lord’s, The Oval and Trent Bridge in June.

“We know what we have coming in a few weeks but our focus is only on this Test match,” the New Zealand captain insisted.

Ireland’s participation in Test cricket has been sporadic at best and Latham believes they would benefit from greater exposure to the game.

“I think from a Test match point of view I guess the more experience you get playing, the more positive you can get from that situation.

“I think as a cricketer, the more you play first-class cricket, the more you improve your skills.

“We play eight first-class games a year at home, which isn’t a huge amount, but it’s definitely a bit more than Ireland plays.”