Two squads of 14 have been named for the BLACKCAPS upcoming ANZ Twenty20 and ANZ ODI series against South Africa.
Luke Ronchi will make his return from injury in the BLACKCAPS one off Twenty20 at Eden Park on 17 February and also features in the ODI squad. Having been brought into the squad for the final ODI against Australia, Ish Sodhi maintains his place in the squad, which has been named for the first two ODI matches in Hamilton and Christchurch.
The New Zealand XI squad to play a warm-up Twenty20 against South Africa on Tuesday has also been named.
Squad for ANZ Twenty20 Series
Kane Williamson (c)
Corey Anderson
Trent Boult
Tom Bruce
Lockie Ferguson
Colin de Grandhomme
Martin Guptill
Colin Munro
James Neesham
Luke Ronchi (Wkt)
Mitchell Santner
Ish Sodhi
Tim Southee
Ben Wheeler
BLACKCAPS Selector Gavin Larsen said he’s been happy with the form of the Twenty20 squad.
“The way we performed in the Twenty20 series against Bangladesh was really pleasing and it’s a format we’ve been consistent in over a long period,” said Larsen.
“It’s an exciting team. There’s a lot of experience, but you also have the likes of Tom Bruce, Ben Wheeler and Lockie Ferguson who have made bright starts to their international careers.
“It will be great to have Luke back in the mix. He’s the number one white-ball wicketkeeper in the country and brings considerable experience to the group.”
Squad for ANZ ODI Series
Kane Williamson (c)
Trent Boult
Neil Broom
Lockie Ferguson
Colin de Grandhomme
Martin Guptill
Matt Henry
Tom Latham
James Neesham
Luke Ronchi
Mitchell Santner
Tim Southee
Ish Sodhi
Ross Taylor
Colin Munro is the one omission from the recent ODI squad to face Australia, which will see Neesham get the opportunity to bat further up the order.
“Colin hasn’t quite shown the consistency he would like in the middle-order and we feel Jimmy is deserved of an opportunity with the bat at six.
“Having two frontline spinners in the side gives us flexibility and Ish is an aggressive bowler who in the right conditions can be a real threat for us.
“South Africa are the top ranked team and have a number of players who can change the game very quickly. It’s going to be a massive challenge.”
New Zealand XI v South Africa
Glenn Phillips
Neil Broom
Henry Nicholls
Tom Bruce
Ross Taylor
Mark Chapman
Daryl Mitchell
Todd Astle
Adam Milne
Matt Henry
Henry Shipley
Zak Gibson
Martin Guptill will not feature in the match at Eden Park Outer Oval as a precautionary measure, but Adam Milne will make his return to cricket after an extended period on the sideline.
“Adam has put in an incredible amount of work to get back out on the park, so it’ll be a big moment for him on Tuesday.
“We’ve named a really strong side for the match, which should be a tough contest and allow a few of our players the opportunity to get a first look at the South African team.
“There’s a few fresh faces in the squad, with the likes of Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman coming off superb Super Smash seasons. It’s a great opportunity for them to test themselves against some of the biggest superstars in world cricket.”
South Africa arrive in New Zealand late on Sunday night.
AB on playing against the New Zealand team. #ProteaFire #SAvSL pic.twitter.com/Y0k8BEpTY4
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) February 10, 2017
