Wellington, New Zealand, Sept 24: Uncapped fast bowler Doug Bracewell has been named in New Zealand's test and one-day cricket squads to tour Zimbabwe next month, becoming the latest player with that surname to represent New Zealand.
Bracewell is the son of former test fast bowler Brendon Bracewell and the nephew of test off-spinner and former New Zealand coach John Bracewell.
Coach John Wright, who was a teammate of both Brendon and John Bracewell, said the younger Bracewell, who turns 21 next week, had caught his eye both with his lively pace and as a hard-hitting lower-order batsman.
Wright said “Doug has got cricket in his blood and I've got a hunch he may turn out to be a tough competitor, typical of some of his relations.”
“Doug's had (a couple of) seasons behind him in first-class cricket and we think he's got quite lot of upside,” Wright said.
Bracewell is one of eight players named in both the test and one-day squads as New Zealand returns to Zimbabwe after a long period in which political strife put the African nation on its no-go list.
New Zealand will play Twenty20 internationals against Zimbabwe on Oct. 15 and 17 and one-day internationals at Harare on Oct. 20 and 22 and Bulawayo on Oct. 25. It will then play a one-off test match at Bulawayo from Nov. 1 to 5 after a two-day warmup match against a Zimbabwe selection.
Swing bowler Kyle Mills has been recalled to the test squad after a 2 ½-year absence as part of a fast bowling contingent including Chris Martin, Andy McKay and Tim Southee. Southee will have to prove his fitness after a recent knee injury and Wright said he would not be risked because he was needed for New Zealand's later series against Australia.
“We're very mindful of the fact we need him to be absolutely 100 percent for Brisbane (where the first test starts on Dec. 1),” Wright said.
Australian-born batsman Dean Brownlie has been named in the test squad and is likely to bat at No. 6 in the test at Bulawayo.
All-rounder James Franklin has been named in the one-day squad and off-spinner Jeetan Patel in the test squad, though both recently missed out on New Zealand Cricket contracts.
Fast bowler Graeme Aldridge has won his first New Zealand callup, to the one-day squad, at the age of 33 after 12 seasons and 90 first-class games. Aldridge is likely to replace Southee in the test squad if he is ruled unfit.
New Zealand squads:
Test: Ross Taylor (captain), Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, B.J. Watling, Jesse Ryder, Dean Brownlie, Kane Williamson, Reece Young, Doug Bracewell, Dan Vettori, Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Tim Southee, Andy McKay, Chris Martin.
One-day/Twenty20: Ross Taylor (captain), Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, B.J. Watling, Jesse Ryder, Rob Nicol, Kane Williamson, James Franklin, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Doug Bracewell, Kyle Mills, Luke Woodcock, Andy McKay, Graeme Aldridge. AP
