The Silver Ferns will be without their captain for the rest of the year, with Gina Crampton granted a sabbatical from netball.
The wing attack was yesterday named in the Silver Ferns' 2022-23 national squad but would be unavailable for the upcoming series against Jamaica and Australia.
Crampton, 30, will instead enjoy a break from the sport while travelling in Europe, with New Zealand coach Dame Noeline Taurua saying the wellbeing of their high-performance athletes is always at the forefront of her mind.
"Gina is the only player from the Netball World Cup 2019 finals who has consistently been available for the past three years and has carried a heavy workload both on and off the court," Taurua said.
"Gina will be missed out on court, but it will open the door for someone else to gain that international netball experience. It's positive both ways."
The process for selecting a new captain for the Taini Jamison Trophy and Constellation Cup series will follow the team-voting system used in the past, giving players and management a say. One contender will be former captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, who is set to make her international return against Jamaica and Australia.
Ekenasio and defender Jane Watson were both named in the Ferns' 17-player squad as they return from maternity leave, while Karin Burger has also been included as she continues her recovery from recent foot surgery.
Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Jane Watson return to the Silver Ferns squad. Photo / Photosport
Taurua's squad includes 11 of the 12 players who won bronze at the Commonwealth Games - with shooter Bailey Mes dropping to the nine-strong development squad - while Elle Temu is the newest member of the group.
Taurua said the Birmingham trip had illustrated a new benchmark in netball, with the performance of rival nations leaving the onus on New Zealand to continue to improve.
"We have built a strong foundation at the Commonwealth Games but need to keep evolving and growing our game," the coach said. "We need athletes who equally want to evolve and grow as well. We need to be open and ready to explore new limits but doing it from a solid base of strength.
"Opportunities will be presented to all of our athletes no matter what squad they are selected in, similar to what we have done in the past. Unfortunately, we only have so many numbers available in each squad and the calibre of athletes we are selecting is now demonstrating the depth we have in New Zealand.
"The competition for positions as we keep our eye on the Netball World Cup, which is now less than a year away will be fierce. I know there are players in the peripheral, not named in the squads, who are capable of wearing the black dress.
"We will continue to work with and support those people to a level of readiness to meet international standards or to come back through ANZ Premiership in a stronger position than last year."
A Silver Ferns team for next month's series against Jamaica will be named on September 7.
Silver Ferns goal shoot Grace Nweke speaks about the Constellation Cup series and the rivalry against the Diamonds in the final match. Video / Alyse Wright
