The Blackcaps have named two squads of 14 players for the upcoming Twenty20 and ODI swries against South Africa
Wellington Firebird Luke Ronchi will make his return from injury when the tour kicks-off at Eden Park on February 17 for the one off Twenty20 international.
The wicketkeeper-batsmen has also fought his way back into the ODI squad, where he will compete with Tom Latham for the gloves.
Having been brought into the squad for the final Chappell-Hadlee match, Ish Sodhi maintains his place, which has been named for the first two ODI matches in Hamilton and Christchurch.
Selector Gavin Larsen said the dominant style of cricket the Twenty20 squad have been playing in the last 12 months makes it impossible to bring in any new faces, including Ross Taylor.
“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.”
Colin Munro is the one omission from the squad that beat Australia, with Jimmy Neesham getting 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 [Neesham] is deserved of an opportunity with the bat at six.
“Having two frontline spinners in the side gives us flexibility and Ish [Sodhi] 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.”
Squad for 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
Squad for 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
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