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Who is James Neesham? Know About His Relationships, Family, Career, Stats and More

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James Neesham
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James Neesham is an all-rounder from New Zealand who is known for his all-round abilities. He has the ability to bat with a high strike rate and smash the ball out of the park, as well as he can take crucial wickets in the middle overs with his deceptive medium-pace bowling. He has been an integral part of the New Zealand cricket team for several years, where he has performed exceptionally well. He has been part of the team across the three formats of the game, where he gave his best in all of them. He has been quite active in playing franchise cricket around the globe, where he is part of many cricket leagues.

James Neesham Biography

James Neesham, a Kiwi all-rounder, was born on 17 September 1990 in Auckland, New Zealand. His nickname is Jimmy Neesham, with which many fans around the globe know him with this name. He went to Auckland Grammar School, New Zealand, for his schooling. He was born into a family connected to sports, which also made him inclined towards sports. He started his cricketing journey by playing for his domestic cricket team, after which he earned his spot at the international level. He made his international debut on 21 December 2012 vs South Africa in T20Is, which started James Neesham career. After that, he debuted in ODIs on 19 January 2013 vs South Africa and in test cricket on 14 February 2014 vs India. Since then, he has played a crucial role in the New Zealand cricket team.

Full NameJames Douglas Sheahan Neesham
Date of Birth17 September 1990
Age34 years (as of 2025)
NationalityNew Zealander
Birth PlaceAuckland, New Zealand
Height6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m)
EducationAuckland Grammar School, New Zealand
ReligionChristianity
Current Team(s)New Zealand National Team, Wellington, T20 franchises (various)
RoleAll-rounder
Batting StyleLeft-handed
Bowling StyleRight-arm medium-fast
Debut

Test – 14 Feb 2014 vs India

ODI – 19 Jan 2013 vs South Africa

T20I – 21 Dec 2012 vs South Africa

Jersey No.50
Net WorthApprox. $4 million
Relationship StatusAlex MacLeod Smith (wife)

James Neesham Religion & Caste

The religion followed by James Neesham is Christianity. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and was raised in a Western Christian family. The caste system is not followed in New Zealand, so he has no caste affiliation.

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James Neesham Family

James Neesham comes from family which was connected to sports, as his parents has played senior level rugby and netball. Along with this, his grandparents have represented New Zealand in rowing and athletics which made him inlcined towards the sports where he choose the game of cricket after trying out a lot of other sports. James Neesham family has played a major role in his cricket journey and has been very supportive throughout the career since his early days.

James Neesham Father

James Neesham's father is Mark Neesham who has been a senior level rugby and netball player in his young days. He has shown a lot of support to his son during his early days of cricket. There is no other information available about James Neesham father except this.

James Neesham Mother

The name of James Neesham is Debbie Neesham who was also a senior level rugby and netball player like James' father. There is no other information avaiable about her except her name and profession.

James Neesham Brother

James Neesham's brother's is Michael Neesham who is elder to James Neesham. There is no other information avaiable about his brother on the web.

James Neesham Sister

Sarah Neesham is James Neesham's sister who is also elder to James Neesham, which makes him the youngest child among them. There is als very limited information available about his sister on the internet.

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James Neesham Instagram

James Neesham is quite active on Instagram, and his handle is @jimmyneesham. There, he engages fans with his match pics, behind-the-scenes moments, travel glimpses, and sometimes witty or sarcastic captions. Jimmy's Insta feed is just like his personality – real, fun, and unpredictable. He has more than 362K followers on his Instagram handle.

James Neesham Twitter

James Neesham's X (formerly Twitter) handle is @JimmyNeesh. He is famous on Twitter for his savage comebacks, funny and bold tweets, and also for unfiltered honesty. After the 2019 World Cup, his tweet "Kids, don't take up sport" went viral, and since then, he has become an absolute favourite of fans. He has more than 352.1K followers on his X account.

James Neesham Facebook

James Neesham's official Facebook page is @JimmyNeesh. He shares his cricket updates and team moments, and also the occasional glimpses of his personal life here. His Facebook presence is not as active as Instagram and Twitter, but still he has more than 2 million folllowers on his Facebook account.

James Neesham Jersey Number

The jersey number of James Neesham is 50 which is used in all matches, be it international or domestic. He is seen wearing this jersey number even in all franchise cricket matches. This has become a part of his identity as fans recognise him as the player with 50 jersey number.

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James Neesham Relationships

James Neesham is happily married to Alex MacLeod‑Smith, a former netball player and pediatric nurse from Auckland. They got married after dating for several years. In December 2022, they tied the knot, and James announced the marriage with a cheeky caption: “ran a couple of errands at the weekend”.

James Neesham Wife

James Neesham wife is Alex MacLeod‑Smith, a former netball player and pediatric nurse from Auckland. Alex played netball at college and in the Beko Netball League (2016 Player of the Year for Mainland Tactix) before pursuing nursing at university. They both dated for several years before getting married. The couple lives in Auckland and welcomed their first child, son Henry, in August 2023.

James Neesham Net Worth & Salary

James Neesham
Image Credits: Official Instagram Account of James Neesham/@jimmyneesham

James Neesham net worth is estimated to be around $4 Million (₹33 crore) approximately, which includes his earnings from his central contract from the New Zealand cricket board and other franchise leagues. He has not been included in the recent NZC contract as he has been playing more franchise cricket. He has earned well from playing IPL. James Neesham net worth also includes his earnings from various brand endorsements and other sponsorship deals, which add a good amount to his income.

Estimated Net Worth$4 Million (₹33 crore) approximately
NZC Contract & Match FeesJames Neesham has declined NZC's fresh offer of a central contract
IPL Auction EarningsINR 1.5 crore (2022, Rajasthan Royals), plus prior stints: INR 1 crore (2014), ₹50 L each in 2020 & 2021
Franchise Leagues (CPL, BBL, etc.)Regular contracts - not publicly detailed
Brand Endorsements/SponsorshipsModerate, including cricket brands

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James Neesham Career

James Neesham had an interest in cricket since his childhood, where he started his journey by playing for the Auckland domestic team before coming to international cricket. He made his international debut on 21 December 2012 vs South Africa in T20Is, which started James Neesham career. After that, he debuted in ODIs on 19 January 2013 vs South Africa and in test cricket on 14 February 2014 vs India. Since then, he has played a crucial role in the New Zealand cricket team. He has also been a crucial player across the different cricket leagues around the world.

International Career

James Neesham
Image Credits: Official X Account of ICC/@ICC

James Neesham has played an exceptional international cricket where his numbers clearly justify his performance very well. He has been a crucial part of the New Zealand cricket team for many years, where he was also part of the ICC World Cup 2019 final and even took part in a super over. In his international career, he has played over 160+ matches across the three formats of the game, where he has scored more than 3,100 runs with a decent average and strike rate. He has smashed 11 fifties and 2 hundreds with his highest score of 137 not out.

FormatMatInnsRunsAveSR100s50sHSWktsAveEconBBI4W/5W
Tests122270933.7666.3224137*1448.213.763/420/0
ODIs76651,49528.2099.930797*7136.006.265/272/2
T20Is836695520.76151.820048*4725.068.955/220/1

Other Leagues Career

James Neesham career has made a name for himself in T20 leagues across the world with his utility all-rounder skills. He has delivered match-winning knocks and key breakthroughs on big platforms such as IPL, CPL, BBL, and The Hundred. His strike rate and adaptability in franchise cricket make him a valuable player for every format. He has been part of many cricket leagues around the world, where his last IPL outing was with the Rajasthan Royals. He has performed decently across the leagues, which makes him a good choice for the teams.

LeagueTeamsMatInnsRunsAveSR100s50sHSWktsAveEconBBI4W/5W
Vitality BlastDER, KEN, ESS, NOR, LEI, DUR68591,19127.06144.890775*6927.819.374/262/0
PSLPZ, IU999612.00129.720038734.578.962/230/0
SA20PC262335119.50125.3500372519.968.363/70/0
BPLRAR7729172.75167.240397*439.759.932/320/0
Men's 100WF, OI9910818.00152.110157*717.289.073/50/0
BBLHH556212.40144.180028149.009.801/80/0
IPLDC, PBKS, MI, RR14109210.2298.920022841.759.273/120/0
CPLGAW, TKR211520520.50112.0200351926.5210.143/180/0
CLT20OTAGO6514572.50168.600152*626.837.313/220/0

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James Neesham Achievements & Awards

Jimmy Neesham has given many such moments in his career and has achieved much in his career. He was the Cricinfo Find of the Tournament in 2011 where he was awarded at the Champions League Twenty20 for standout performances. He made a test century on his test debut where he scored 137* vs India in Wellington. He was the part of New Zealand squad that reached final in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and 2019. He won the NZ ODI Player of the Year in 2019 and the NZ T20I Player of the Year for his exceptional performance in the respective formats. He also earned the Central Stags Contract in 2022 after his strong performances in domestic cricket.

YearAchievement / AwardDetails
2011Cricinfo Find of the TournamentAwarded at the Champions League Twenty20 for standout performances
2014Test Century on DebutScored 137* vs India in Wellington
2015 & 2019ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-upPart of the NZ squad that reached the final
2019NZ ODI Player of the YearRecognized as New Zealand's best ODI player
2020NZ T20I Player of the YearRecognized as New Zealand's best T20I player
2022Central Stags ContractAwarded domestic contract after strong performances

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is James Neesham?

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James Neesham is a New Zealand international cricketer known for his hard-hitting batting and medium-pace bowling. He plays as a reliable all-rounder across all formats.

What is James Neesham’s age and birthday?

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James Neesham was born on 17 September 1990, and he is currently 34 years old.

What is James Neesham’s height?

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He is approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall.

Who is James Neesham’s wife?

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James Neesham is in a relationship with Alex MacLeod Smith.

What is James Neesham’s net worth and salary?

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As of 2025, his estimated net worth is around $4 million. He earns through international cricket, T20 leagues like IPL, and brand sponsorships.

What is James Neesham’s jersey number?

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James Neesham wears jersey number 50 while playing for New Zealand.

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Edited by- Pranvit Singh Dang
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