Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell has replaced BJ Watling for the two Test match series against the Windies.
Watling has failed to recover from the hip injury he suffered while playing domestic cricket and a failure in recovering has now seen him getting ruled out.
Earlier, it got confirmed that Watling will not keep wickets in the first Test and now he has been ruled out of the series.
Blundell, the 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, will be making his Test debut for New Zealand. He has played one T20I early this year, which came against Bangladesh after Luke Ronchi got ruled out of the final T20I due to an injury and the responsibility to keep wicket fell on him.
“Tom’s worked hard on his game and we’ve seen his wicketkeeping, in particular, really develop over the past 12 months. BJ is still working his way back to full fitness and hopefully he gets some time with the gloves for Northern Districts soon,” Gavin Larsen, the Kiwi selector said.
Apart from Blundell, selectors have also called in Lockie Ferguson as a backup for Tim Southee, who is expecting a birth of his first child. Ferguson will only get considered if Southee is not available for the opening Test match of the series.
“With Tim (Southee) awaiting the birth of his child, his availability is still uncertain at this point, so Lockie helps keep our bases covered. Lockie’s been in good form domestically and showed good signs for New Zealand A as well. His extra pace brings a slightly different dimension to the attack,” Larsen added.
Ferguson, who has a handy experience of playing 30 first-class games, has represented the country in seven ODIs and one T20I. His ODI debut came against Australia in the first game of Chappel-Hadlee Trophy last year in Sydney.
Ferguson is coming fresh from a 12-wicket-haul for Auckland against Otago, a performance which came in the first half of the month. He was a part of New Zealand A squad which travelled to India for the one-day series but didn’t get retain for the international fixtures that followed.
The first Test of the series between New Zealand and the Windies will be played at the Bason Reserve in Wellington from December 1 to 5. The second and the last Test will start on December 9 in Hamilton. The month-long tour also consists of three ODIs and three T20Is, with the final game to be played on January 3 at the Bay Oval.
New Zealand Test squad: Kane Williamson(c), Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson (back-up).
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