"Exciting talent" called up for Black Caps tour

Canterbury all-rounder Henry Shipley is poised to make his Black Caps debut after being selected in the ODI squads for the back-to-back series in Pakistan and India.

The 26-year-old was the only new face as New Zealand named split squads for each of next month’s three-match series, allowing player and staff workloads to be managed.

Captains Kane Williamson and Tim Southee, along with coaches Gary Stead and Shane Jurgensen, will return home after the Pakistan ODIs to begin preparations to host England for a two-test series in February.

Tom Latham will captain the ODI series against India, with Auckland batsman Mark Chapman and Otago quick Jacob Duffy replacing Williamson and Southee.

Batting coach Luke Ronchi will take charge for ODI and T20I series in India, assisted by Bob Carter and Paul Wiseman.

Shipley has been a stand-out player on the domestic scene for the past few seasons, delivering a number of match-winning performances across formats and impressing with his all-round skills.

A 1.96m right-arm pace bowler and middle-order power batsman, Shipley was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s Super Smash and is currently topping the Ford Trophy tally after claiming a hat-trick against Wellington last month.

“Henry’s an exciting talent who we’ve had our eye on for a while,” Black Caps selector Gavin Larsen said. “He’s taken his game to another level in the past 12 months and we’re delighted to see his progression, given how valuable genuine all-rounders are in any cricket team.

“It’s encouraging to see players putting their hands up in our domestic competitions and their performances being rewarded with selection for the national team.”

Shipley essentially replaces Jimmy Neesham in the squad, who like Trent Boult has signed to play in the Big Bash League while the Black Caps are on tour.

Blair Tickner was another omission from last month’s rain-disrupted ODI series against India, while batsman Henry Nicholls earned a recall after featuring for the Black Caps in Europe during the northern summer.

Kyle Jamieson was unavailable for selection as he continues his recovery from a back injury League.

Larsen described it as a balanced squad, with a mix of experienced players along with a nod to the future.

“We’re lucky to have a strong group of proven performers in one-day cricket and it’s exciting to see new blood emerging in the form of Henry Shipley,” he said.

“The tour will also present further opportunities for the likes of Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips, and Mark Chapman, who are hugely talented but still relatively inexperienced at international ODI level.”

Larsen said the two series would provide vital preparation ahead of next year’s World Cup in India

“This is a great opportunity to take on two quality white-ball sides in sub-continental conditions,” he said. “It’s going to be tough cricket against world-class opposition.

“With the one-day World Cup less than a year away in India, it’s the perfect time to be playing these sides at home as we look to nail down our gameplans and understand the different situations and conditions we may encounter.”

Black Caps ODI squads to tour Pakistan and India:

Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman (India only), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy (India only), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (Pakistan only), Kane Williamson (Pakistan only).