New Zealand Cricket Announces BLACKCAPS and New Zealand A Teams

New Zealand Cricket today released the BLACKCAPS team to tour Bangladesh and the New Zealand A team to tour Zimbabwe in October.

BLACKCAPS

Daniel Vettori (Captain)
Hamish Bennett
Grant Elliott
Brendon McCullum
Nathan McCullum
Andy McKay
Kyle Mills
Jesse Ryder
Aaron Redmond
Tim Southee
Shanan Stewart
Ross Taylor
Daryl Tuffey
BJ Watling
Kane Williamson

New Zealand ‘A’

James Franklin (Captain)
Graeme Aldridge
Brent Arnel
Nick Beard
Dean Brownlie
Daniel Flynn
Martin Guptill
Gareth Hopkins
Jamie How
Peter Ingram
Tim McIntosh
Chris Martin
Jeetan Patel
Bhupinder Singh
Reece Young

The BLACKCAPS will play one warm-up game in Bangladesh before taking on the national team in five One-Day Internationals. New Zealand A will play a two-day warm-up before three four-day match-ups against a Zimbabwe XI.

Selector Mark said some selections were made with future tours and succession planning in mind.

“Hamish Bennett has been included in the squad on the back of a solid NZA tour and multiple successful domestic seasons. He is an exciting fast bowler and we are sure he will make the most of this opportunity,” Greatbatch said.

“We are keen for Martin Guptill to regain the form that made him such a force for the BLACKCAPS last year and think that the four-day matches in Zimbabwe will give him the best opportunity to do that.

“Three spinners have been included in the NZ A team. Young Nick Beard and Bhupinder Singh will benefit from playing along side Jeetan Patel. They deserve their opportunity having both impressed on recent training camps.

"As we develop depth for the coming 12 months and narrow our focus on the ICC Cricket World Cup next February it is important that we give players the opportunity to stake their claims for future selection.

"These tours offer the perfect opportunity for that to happen," he said.

The A team tour will be New Zealand's first contact with Zimbabwe since the 2005 tour there by the BLACKCAPS. Health and safety issues within Zimbabwe have limited international cricket tours contact for most countries.

"New Zealand Cricket in liaison with the New Zealand government has monitored the situation and we are comfortable with the improved conditions and stability in Zimbabwe,” said NZC CEO, Justin Vaughan.

“A rejuvenated Zimbabwe has their sights set on Test cricket and the NZ A tour will help provide experience and incentive for them to reach their goal, as well as strong competition for the New Zealand A team.”

"The tour will, of course, be subject to our standard full safety and security check before the team departs," he said.

Today NZC General Manager Geoff Allott and NZCPA Executive Manager Heath Mills left New Zealand to complete a rigorous pre-tour inspection of Zimbabwe and India ahead of the upcoming tours.

ENDS

Note: Schedules online.

BLACKCAPS tour of Bangladesh - http://www.blackcaps.co.nz/schedule/blackcaps-in-bangladesh/26/series.aspx
NZA tour of Zimbabwe - http://www.blackcaps.co.nz/schedule/nza-in-zimbabwe/97/series.aspx