Cricket: NZ's T20 lineup notable for who's not there

Kyle Mills' absence for the T20 matches is no reflection on his standing in the shortest form. Photo / Getty Images

The naming of New Zealand's T20 squad for the two games against the West Indies was notable for who wasn't there.

Neither senior seamer Kyle Mills nor accomplished batsman Kane Williamson are in the 12 for the matches on Saturday and next Wednesday.

The reasoning is different for each player.

In 34-year-old Mills' case, any searching for a sign that this is the start of the end of the road for the tall Aucklander is wide of the mark, according to national selection manager Bruce Edgar. Mills' record and reputation in short-form cricket are well known.

As an ODI bowler he's among the best around, with 231 wickets in 161 games at 26 apiece. In T20 internationals, he's been less effective in wicket-taking terms - 36 from 37 games at 30.1 each. Indeed, extrapolate that out and Mills has taken just nine wickets in his last 14 games over 2012-13.

However he's very much in the selectors' minds for the world T20 in Bangladesh, starting in mid-March. These two games against the West Indies are New Zealand's last warmups for that and so it's a case of priority selections.

Selectors Mike Hesson and Edgar wanted to give Central Districts speedster Adam Milne a chance.

"We are well aware of Kyle's skills at this level," Edgar said. "We would like to give Adam an opportunity and he hasn't had that with the weather [during the West Indies ODI series].

"We are trying to see players perform at the highest level and give them a chance."

It's a different story with Williamson, a classy batsmen if more of an accumulator than a regular boundary clearer, anda useful offspinner and fine fielder.

He's played 13 T20s, averaging 22 with the bat but taken only two wickets. To be fair, he's been given a bowl in only four games.

Williamson might still go to Bangladesh in March, where the slower pitches demand players who are adept both against spin and at delivering it. For now, his card has been marked as a test and ODI priority player.

"That's probably where we see him at the moment," Edgar said. "He's playing so well in that. Dropping down to an even shorter version, we're less inclined to involve him there."

Edgar admitted that there was a measure of urgency about the next two T20s.

"These guys [in the 12] will be treating it with absolute urgency. They know a World Cup is coming up and they'll want to be part of it. For us, picking sides is still pretty much performance driven.

"You think of Anton Devcich, or a Tom Latham or a Hamish Rutherford. These guys are in and around, knocking on the door. It's quite a good position to be in."

The New Zealand 12 is the same as for the ODI series, minus Mills and Williamson, a nod to the selectors' thinking that there's no need for major tinkering between the two short-form formats.

"The ODI team is going along pretty well and there are some good signs and performances coming through there," said Edgar. "We just want to make sure they continue with that. These guys have the ability to carry that on with the T20 as well."

An initial squad of 30 players for the world T20 will be announced on January 16, as per International Cricket Council requirements, before being trimmed closer to the tournament.

T20 squads

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (c), Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Colin Munro, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne.
West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (c), Kieran Powell, Johnson Charles, Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher, Narsingh Deonarine, Denesh Ramdin, Chadwick Walton, Jason Holder, Samuel Badree, Tino Best, Nikita Miller, Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell.

Schedule

Sat: 1st T20, Eden Park
Wed: 2nd T20, Wellington