Two players, Josh Clarkson (age 26) and Will O’Rourke (age 22, bowler) have been called up for the first time to the New Zealand ODI squad of thirteen for the forthcoming three-match series against Bangladesh. In addition, seasoned pro Ish Sodhi will play the first game before departing for a “planned break”; leg spinner Adi Ashok (21), who made his T20I debut against the United Arab Emirates in August, has also been chosen in the squad for the second and third games [New Zealand Cricket]. Following the Test series, Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, and Kane Williamson were all given time off.
Beginning on December 17 in Dunedin, Tom Latham will wear the captain’s hat for the series. Six more players from the most recent World Cup group of 15 will join him. The team will get together on December 14 in Dunedin.
“Josh is someone who, while still only young, has played over 150 matches for the Stags, developing his skills with bat and ball to become a consistent contributor,” Sam Wells, the selector, said. Although Adi and Will are relatively new to domestic cricket, they have shown promise in their early performances and have performed admirably in this year’s New Zealand A matches versus Australia A. Both provide beneficial skill sets,” Wells continued.
The NZC further stated that Trent Boult, who is no longer contractually bound, made himself unavailable, while Michael Bracewell (Achilles), Matt Henry (hamstring), Lockie Ferguson (Achilles), James Neesham (ankle), Ben Lister (hamstring), and Henry Shipley (back) were not taken into consideration for selection due to injury.
“After a very busy winter of touring it will be exciting to have the team back playing at home,” Wells stated. “The volume and intensity of the cricket over the winter this year means we need to strike a balance with workloads for players, particularly those that play multiple formats.”
Squad: Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi (1st ODI), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Adi Ashok (2nd and 3rd ODI), Will Young