Cricket: T20 selectors include walking wounded

Kyle Mills. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Four players have been picked with selectorial fingers crossed for the world Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean starting on April 30.

Fast-medium pair Kyle Mills (shoulder and knee surgery) and Ian Butler (adductor strain) are back training.

Opener Aaron Redmond, who had badly damaged his adductor during the early-season tour to the United Arab Emirates, is recalled, while a place is found for allrounder Jacob Oram, who damaged a patella tendon in the ODI series against Australia.

All are on fitness regimes in the next three weeks to get them up to speed, some playing in the national club championships starting in Auckland next Tuesday, before heading to Queensland for a camp on April 18.

The one new cap is longtime former Auckland allrounder Rob Nicol, now at Canterbury, who will bolster the spin options at venues where that is seen as advantageous. His domestic limited-overs form has been good.

Batsman Jesse Ryder is predictably recalled, after making a century for Wellington in his comeback first-class game this week.

"We think we have some very dynamic batters, who can be lethal in this form of the game, and our bowlers are also very effective Twenty20 performers," selector Mark Greatbatch said.

Seven players are on standby: batsmen Peter Ingram and Shanan Stewart, fast-medium bowlers Brent Arnel and Andy McKay, offspinner Jeetan Patel, allrounder James Franklin and wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan.

New Zealand's first game is against Sri Lanka in Guyana on May 1.

T20 SQUAD

Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Aaron Redmond, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.

WHAT: 2010 World Twenty20 Championships
WHERE: West Indies
WHEN: May 1-16
TV: Sky Sport (all matches)