Wellington, New Zealand: Two uncapped players, leg spinner Ish Sodhi and allrounder Corey Anderson, have been named in the New Zealand Cricket team which will play two test matches at Bangladesh in October.
Anderson, a hard-hitting middle order batsman and medium pace bowler, made his Twenty20 debut for New Zealand in South Africa earlier this year and his one-day international debut at the Champions Trophy in England. He clinched selection with a century for New Zealand A against India A in India this week.
Indian-born Sodhi, 20, played for New Zealand at last year's under-19 World Cup and showed promise in his domestic first class matches last season for Northern Districts.
New national selection manager Bruce Edgar said both players “have been on our radar” for some time.
Opening batsman Martin Guptill, left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori and fast bowler Tim Southee were not considered for the tour because of injuries. The team is otherwise similar to the one which lost 2-0 to England in a test series at England in May.
“Essentially this squad builds on the team that toured England,” Edgar said. “The key was to take a consistent approach to selection and provide continuity for the players.”
“The Bangladesh tour is a good opportunity to introduce a promising spinner and having two specialist spinners in the squad (Sodhi and left-armer Bruce Martin) gives us the option to utilize wickets that are likely to turn.”
The New Zealand team leaves for a pre-tour camp in Sri Lanka on September 22. It will play a three-day warmup match against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI at Chittagong from Oct. 4 before tests at Chittagong starting Oct. 9 and Dhaka from Oct. 21.
“Bangladesh have proven over the years that they are a difficult opponent in their own backyard,” Edgar said. “But our preparations in Sri Lanka will certainly help us be ready for the sub-continent conditions.”
A squad to play one-day and T20 internationals in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in November will be named later this week.
New Zealand squad: Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Tom Latham, Bruce Martin, Hamish Rutherford, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.
