Bracewell, Neesham return for Sri Lanka ODIs
All-rounders Doug Bracewell and Jimmy Neesham have earned recalls, while opener Martin Guptill returns from injury and wicket-keeper batsman Tim Seifert is set for his ODI debut.
Seifert, 24, will take the place of Tom Latham, who has been left out as "the selectors [endeavour] to give opportunities to a wider group of players", New Zealand Cricket said in a statement on Thursday, 27 December.
Colin de Grandhomme, meanwhile, has been rested "following an extensive workload over the past 12 months", while BJ Watling and Ajaz Patel too miss out from the side that was named for the tour of UAE.
👀 Check out our ODI squad set to take on Sri Lanka, starting at @BayOvalOfficial on January 3rd 🏏 #NZvSL #cricketnation pic.twitter.com/kQioXBUbwD
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 27, 2018
Neesham last represented the Black Caps in the Champions Trophy last year, while Bracewell featured in a Twenty20 International against the Windies in January 2018.
“Doug and Jimmy have performed well on the domestic scene and showed during the recent New Zealand A series against India A that they’re ready for international cricket," said Gavin Larsen, the chief selector. "Tim’s also been rewarded for his strong New Zealand A form and we’ve been impressed by the development of his all-round game.
“Colin’s played almost non-stop over the past year so will take a well-earned rest as we continue to monitor the workloads of those who play all three formats. It’s great to have Martin back after injury and he’ll obviously add all his class and experience to the side.”
Guptill had been named in the limited-overs squads for the matches against Pakistan last month, but had been forced to withdraw from the series with a calf injury. Adam Milne, Corey Anderson and Todd Astle were not considered owing to injury or illness, while Mitchell Santner was on his comeback from knee surgery and would be in the mix in the new year, the statement added.
The three-match series begins on January 3 in Mount Maunganui.
Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor