New Zealand Cricket today announced a 13-man Test squad for the upcoming tour of Australia.
Ross Taylor – Central Stags
Trent Boult – Northern Knights
Doug Bracewell – Central Stags
Dean Brownlie – Canterbury Wizards
Martin Guptill – Auckland Aces
Chris Martin – Auckland Aces
Brendon McCullum – Otago Volts
Jesse Ryder – Wellington Firebirds
Tim Southee – Northern Knights
Daniel Vettori – Northern Knights
BJ Watling – Northern Knights
Kane Williamson – Northern Knights
Reece Young – Canterbury Wizards
The squad includes ten players who were part of the recent Test victory over Zimbabwe together with Tim Southee and Jesse Ryder who return from injury and uncapped Trent Boult.
Boult, a 22 left-armer from the Northern Knights, was part of the NZC Fast Bowling Winter Camp and given a central contract for the 2010-12 season.
BJ Watling will remain in New Zealand to play for the Northern Knights against the Otago Volts in the third round of Plunket Shield. He will join the team on day-one of their four-day warm-up match against Australia A.
New Zealand Cricket National Selector Manager Kim Littlejohn said: “We were keen to show consistency in selection for the tour of Australia and retain the nucleus of the side that performed well against Zimbabwe.
“In choosing our squad we decided to go with 13 players and will consider adding another seamer before the first Test. That will largely depend on how the players pull up after the warm-up match.
“It is pleasing to provide Trent with an opportunity. He is a promising young bowler and deserves his place in the squad after impressing at the NZC Fast Bowling Camp during the winter and making a strong start to the Plunket Shield.
“We have decided to allow BJ Watling to play in the third round of Plunket Shield to give him maximum game time. We did not plan on selecting him for the warm-up match against Australia A and feel it is more beneficial to keep him playing cricket.
“The side for the First-Class warm-up fixture against Australia A will be chosen from the remaining 12 players.”
