Cricket: Three spots to fill in Cup squad

Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori. Photo / Getty Images

A second wicketkeeper, a third spinner and the seam bowling department are likely to have been the key talking points when the national selectors settled on their World Cup squad, to be named today.

The tournament starts on the subcontinent on February 19. The six ODIs against Pakistan, starting in Wellington on Saturday, are the shakedown for the travelling squad.

As is usually the case, about 12 players should pick themselves. They are the ones who will form the side for the key games.

The other three could be viewed as cover, and one prerequisite for the panel, convener Mark Greatbatch, Glenn Turner and Lance Cairns, is making sure all bases have been tagged.

The batting will revolve around Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder. Ryder might finish up with a middle-order role to bolster New Zealand's competence against spin with Scott Styris and Kane Williamson.

James Franklin and Jacob Oram provide the all-round component; Nathan McCullum will be captain Dan Vettori's spin lieutenant; Kyle Mills and Tim Southee the senior seamers.

Now for the rest.

McCullum will keep wicket, but in the event of a relapse of his niggling back complaint, do the selectors want to make do with a makeshift gloveman, say BJ Watling, who is a handy batsman, or plump for a specialist wicketkeeper?

Peter McGlashan is the standout candidate and offers rapid, inventive late-innings batting capability. He did well against Pakistan in the T20 series and would be the better, safer option.

If New Zealand don't have a solid third spin option they could be asking for trouble.

Williamson is not at that stage yet. Two alternatives from within the initial squad of 30 stand out: Canterbury's Rob Nicol and Wellington left armer Luke Woodcock.

Nicol can open and is a handy offspinner. He went to the world T20 in the Caribbean last year but didn't get a chance and has been unseen since.

Woodcock made a decent impression when given a chance in a T20 against Pakistan and, in a case of ideal timing, hit a run-a-ball 50 and took three for 31 off 10 overs of his parsimonious flat spin in Wellington's win over Northern Districts on Sunday. Woodcock it is.

The third seamer options are headed by Wellington left armer Andy McKay.

Vettori rates him but the selection dynamics have changed with the rejigging of the backroom and coaching operations upon John Wright's ascension to head coach just before Christmas.

Hamish Bennett, just back from injury, made a favourable impression in Bangladesh and India in November. His name is sure to have been discussed.

The other alternative is a lively seamer such as Ian Butler, who has been in and around the squad for some time, bowls tidily and can hit a long ball late in the piece.

POSSIBLE SQUAD

Dan Vettori (c), Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Kane Williamson, James Franklin, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Luke Woodcock, Kyle Mills, Ian Butler, Tim Southee,Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum.