It's Milne's first T20 game and also the Aces but, significantly, the visitors won't have much idea of what the strip of prime real estate on rugby venue Yarrow Stadium has in store for them.
"Milney is available so he's an exciting young player in the world who can whip it up to 150ks an hour and can swing the ball both ways," said Malan yesterday as the 23-year-old from Manawatu returns from resting his sore shins.
Enough said. From now on the batsmen's educated front foot will try to maintain rhyme and reason as it shuffles to dangle nervously outside the off stump. That cocky head, in line with the shoulder, will hesitate for a nanosecond and the sixth sense will desperately grope in vain for another intangible cousin. Those who have the luxury will flick Ross Taylor a meaningful text at the Waca, Perth, on how to keep the crown jewels in the safe deposit box.
Milne's advent is impeccable timing because the Stags are coming off a high after beating the Otago Volts by four wickets last Saturday.
It was an emphatic reply from CD who boast a predominantly young but mean-looking batting line up although they had succumbed by six wickets to the Volts in the season opener a few days earlier.
While opening batsman Jesse Ryder is out for at least another 10 days due to a thigh strain, world-class and former Sri Lanka international Mahela Jayawardene is coming into the equation on Thursday next week against the Wellington Firebirds in Nelson.
Last Saturday, Complete Flooring Napier Technical Old Boys opening batsman Indika Senarathne, a contracted player from Sri Lanka, made his debut for the Stags in place of Ryder, albeit a golden duck after Black Cap Neil Wagner trapped him leg before wicket.
Malan said Senarathne's specialist portfolio would remain for the need to eke out a better start in the first six overs should his opportunity arise again tonight although in T20 batting and bowling put players in better stead.
"Indika will have to find his feet batting because he needs confidence to make a decent start."
Overall, though, he saw CD's victory as a "big moment" for the collective pertaining to gleaning experience for the young.
The two-paced nature of the wicket saw CD and Otago batsmen struggle but groundsman had sprinklers on it immediately after the Saturday game.
"It's got quite a bit of green on it and a few bare patches that allude to a two-paced block."
Malan said CD offspinner George Worker had shown that if the right length was bowled it could get "quite interesting".
With Milne and Seth Rance providing swing and Andrew Mathieson and Blair Tickner hitting the deck with some venom, the seaming department is sorted.
Marty Kain, Worker and debutant part-timer Tom Bruce shore up the tweaking department to cover the bowling options.
The Rob Nicol-captained Aces will be without their paceman Mitchell McClenaghan who has, with Wagner, joined the Black Caps squad as cover for injured Tim Southee.
That helps CD's cause but last summer's runners-up have offered speed merchant Lockie Ferguson a chance to stake his claim as well as Glenn Phillips.
Coach Mark O'Donnell didn't miss the "interesting challenge" Yarrow Stadium would pose.
"It has been good to watch the action there so far and we will be factoring [in] what we have seen into our match plans," O'Donnell told fans on the major association's website.
-CD Stags: Kruger van Wyk (c, wkt), William Young (vc), Tom Bruce, Josh Clarkson, Mitchell Claydon, Dane Cleaver, Marty Kain, Andrew Mathieson, Seth Rance, Indika Senarathne, Blair Tickner, George Worker, Adam Milne.
-Auckland Aces: Rob Nicol (c), Michael Bates, Brad Cachopa (wkt), Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Donovan Grobbelaar, Colin Munro, Tarun Nethula, Robbie O'Donnell, Glenn Phillips, Matt Quinn, Jeet Raval.
