Paceman Southee named in squad

Northland's Tim Southee has made the Black Caps 13-man test squad for next month's series in Australia.

The Black Caps' paceman injured his left knee while preparing to play in the Champions League in India, which ruled him out of the Black Caps' tour of Zimbabwe.

But after an intensive rehabilitation to get the knee right in time for the two test matches and warm up game in Australia, the New Zealand Cricket medical staff cleared the 22-year-old to play for the Northern Knights in their first two Plunket Shield matches against Auckland Aces at Whangarei's Cobham Oval last week, and against the Wellington Firebirds at Lincoln this week.

The idea behind playing in the domestic cricket competition was to make sure Southee was back to full fitness and up to playing international cricket.

Southee performed well in both Shield matches but reinforced his intentions he would be ready to take on Australia during day one of the Knights' Shield match against Wellington, when he ripped through the Firebird's batting order, taking 7-37.

The squad named yesterday includes 10 players who were part of the Black Caps recent test victory over Zimbabwe along with Southee and Jesse Ryder who also returns from injury, along with the uncapped Northern Knights' Trent Boult.

Boult, a 22 left-armer was part of NZC's Fast Bowling Winter Camp and was given a central contract for the 2010-12 season.

BJ Watling will remain in NZ to play for the Knights against the Otago Volts in round three of the Plunket Shield.

He will join the Black Caps on day one of their four-day warm-up match against Australia A.

National selector manager Kim Littlejohn said NZ Cricket were keen to show consistency in selection for the tour of Australia and retain the nucleus of the side that performed well against Zimbabwe.

"In choosing our squad we decided to go with 13 players and will consider adding another seamer before the first test.

"That will largely depend on how the players pull up after the warm-up match," he said.

"It is pleasing to provide Trent (Boult) with an opportunity.

"He is a promising young bowler and deserves his place in the squad after impressing at the NZC Fast Bowling Camp during the winter and making a strong start to the Plunket Shield. We have decided to allow BJ Watling to play in the third round of Plunket Shield to give him maximum game time.

"We did not plan on selecting him for the warm-up match against Australia A and feel it is more beneficial to keep him playing cricket."

Littlejohn added the side for the First-Class warm-up fixture against Australia A on November 24-27 in Brisbane will be chosen from the remaining 12 players.

The first test against Australia will be played at The Gabba, in Brisbane from December 1-5 while the second will be at Bellerive Oval in Hobart, starting on December 9.