KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand selectors have ignored the white-hot form of Mathew Sinclair and plumped for a new face in Neil Broom for the first two one-day cricket internationals against the West Indies.
Otago right-hander Broom is the latest player to benefit from adequate domestic form and is the major talking point of the 13 names unveiled today for matches at Queenstown on Wednesday and Christchurch on Saturday.
The squad will then be renamed for the remainder of the five-match series.
There is no room for the enigma of the New Zealand game Sinclair, despite his dominant form as captain of Central Districts, who lead both the four-day and one-day domestic competitions.
The 33-year-old leads the run charts in both.
He has scored 516 runs in the State Championship at an average of 103 and in the past week has crafted matchwinning knocks of 92 and 84 in the first two rounds of the State Shield.
Sinclair has been in and out of the New Zealand side at regular intervals in recent seasons and the selectors appear unwilling to take another dip.
Broom, 25, replaces Scott Styris, who broke a thumb in the first Twenty20 against the West Indies on Friday.
There are two other changes from the Twenty20 squad with Central Districts batsman Jamie How and Wellington allrounder Grant Elliott both recalled in place of Wellington allrounder James Franklin and Central Districts bowler Ewen Thompson, who was uncapped when brought in for the two Twenty20 matches.
Head of the selection panel, Glenn Turner, said Broom had shown his potential as an international batsman this year.
"Neil performed well with the bat in Australia and India with the emerging players and New Zealand A sides," Turner said in a statement.
"He's also been scoring a lot of runs in the State Championship this summer (382 at 63.7)."
Broom made his first class debut in the 2002-03 season. He has scored 1150 one-day runs at an average of 34.84 and at a slick strike rate of 76.56.
Elliott's recall to the national side comes after solid performances in domestic cricket.
"Grant gives us options with both bat and ball," Turner said.
"He can come in down the order and push the ball around - and also offers a good bowling option with his medium-paced swing."
New Zealand
Daniel Vettori (captain), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Daniel Flynn, Neil Broom, Jacob Oram, Grant Elliott, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Jeetan Patel, Mark Gillespie.
- NZPA
