New Zealand have named a strong 16-man squad for their upcoming five-match ODI series against the West Indies with pace bowler Matthew Fisher receiving his maiden call and in line to earn his first one-day cap. The series would be an opportunity for the fast bowler, who has been in terrific form in domestic cricket and now getting a chance to prove himself.
New Zealand almost returned to full strength through the inclusion of experienced players returning from rest or injury. Fast bowler Jacob Duffy returns to the squad after being unavailable for a recent Test tour of England due to family commitments. He bolsters the pace attack and adds invaluable experience alongside established bowlers in the team.
The ODI series to be played following the T20 series will be captained by Mitchell Santner with New Zealand heading into a busy international diary full steam ahead. An ideal combination of experienced campaigners along with the emerging talents have been retained, making sure that both batting and bowling units are robust enough.
Many senior players who were well owned before are available once again as most rested them, still a few stalwarts are missing from the squad because of injuries and recovery programs. The management has opted to give those players extra time for full fitness before coming up to the upcoming International assignments.
Particularly the selection of Matthew Fisher after featuring prominently during domestic competitions. He is recognised as a fast bowler capable of creating pace and bounce, having been rewarded for impressive domestic form with selection over the horizon through the West Indies tour, where he could well become another New Zealand quick to make the transition.
The five-match series will get underway in the Caribbean on July 11 and serve as important preparation for both sides as they develop plans toward the next wave of ICC events. New Zealand, which has a record of being amongst the most stubborn and well performing teams in this format would look to combine a few seasoned campaigners with talented youngsters hungry to taste success on the international stage.
The selectors feel that the squad is an ideal blend of stability and youth, giving enough wiggle-room for the team to accommodate Indian conditions in the Caribbean. With a slew of players returning, the prospect of Matthew Fisher’s potential debut and New Zealand looking for an eighth consecutive successful overseas trip, their innermost thoughts will be on an impressive performance over the next two weeks.
