Wellington, Oct 23 (IANS): The senior national men's selection committee of New Zealand has called upon promising all-rounder Nathan Smith and up-and-coming wicketkeeper-batsman Mitch Hay for next month’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Bowling-allrounder Smith and wicketkeeper-batsman Hay have earned their maiden Black Caps call-ups, joining a 15-strong squad led by Mitchell Santner for two T20Is and three ODIs starting in Dambulla on November 9.
Smith’s maiden call-up continues a memorable twelve months for the 25-year-old who was crowned the Men’s Domestic Player of the Year at the New Zealand Cricket Awards in March, before receiving his first central contract last month.
Smith claimed 24 wickets across both white-ball competitions for his domestic team, Wellington Firebirds, last summer, including career-best T20 figures of 4-5 against the Otago Volts in Alexandra in the Dream11 Super Smash. Hay, who debuted for New Zealand A last year, has been a consistent performer across all three formats in recent seasons with the 24-year-old crowned Canterbury’s male Player of the Year in April.
The pair joins a fresh-looking Black Caps squad, made up of a host of experienced internationals and a selection of newer faces who have made international debuts in the past two years. Lockie Ferguson will spearhead a pace bowling group featuring Duffy and Canterbury’s Zak Foulkes, alongside all-rounders Smith and Josh Clarkson.
Powerful opener Tim Robinson earns his second call-up after excelling on his maiden international voyage to Pakistan in April, along with Clarkson who impressed in last summer’s ODIs against Bangladesh. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi is the most experienced T20I player in the squad with 117 appearances.
Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips are the spin-bowling all-rounders, alongside Santner, while Dean Foxcroft offers some off-spin alongside his specialist batting skills. The experience of Phillips, Will Young and Henry Nicholls bolsters the batting, with Nicholls coming off an impressive Ford Trophy campaign last summer where he scored 301 runs in six games at 75.25.
Six of the current Black Caps Test squad in India have been included and will relocate straight to Sri Lanka after the third Test against India in Mumbai. Bracewell will join the white-ball squad from New Zealand, following his return home from India this week for the birth of his second child. Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee and Kane Williamson were not considered for selection as they prioritise the upcoming three-Test series against England, starting in Christchurch on November 28.
Ben Sears (knee), Ben Lister (side-strain), Kyle Jamieson (back) and Adi Ashok (back) were not considered for selection due to injuries. Canterbury spinner Cole McConchie made himself unavailable for selection as he and his wife are expecting twins in early December.
New Zealand selector Sam Wells said the mix of youth and experience in the squad reflected the planning for upcoming ICC tournaments.
“This tour is the beginning of the build-up towards the ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025 and we also have an eye towards the 2027 one-day Cricket World Cup,” he said. “Building depth is of critical importance due to the demands of the international schedule and the need to peak for pinnacle events. For that reason, it’s particularly exciting to include a number of players that we believe represent the future of the Black Caps,” he said.
Wells congratulated Hay and Smith on their maiden call-ups. “It’s a special moment for any player to be selected for the BLACKCAPS for the first time,” he said. “Nathan and Mitch have demanded selection through the weight of performance and I am sure they will be looking forward to showcasing their skills on the international stage.”
Wells described Smith as a talented bowling all-rounder who was an elite athlete in the field. “Nathan’s led the Wellington attack with distinction for a number of years across all three formats and we are excited about his potential with the bat.”
Wells said Hay was a player the selectors believed had a big future ahead of him. “Mitch has been one of the standout domestic players over the past few seasons and brings all-round ability with both bat and gloves. He’s a very organised batsman and has displayed good power in the white ball formats.”
Head coach Gary Stead will lead the coaching group alongside bowling coach Jacob Oram. Former England international James Foster will rejoin the group as batting coach, while full-time batting coach Luke Ronchi heads home to focus on the start of the New Zealand home summer.
The New Zealand-based players depart for Sri Lanka on November 4 ahead of the first T20I in Dambulla on November 9.
New Zealand squad for white-ball series v Sri Lanka:
Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay (wk), Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Will Young