Henry Shipley gets maiden call-up – Luke Ronchi to lead Black Caps India tour

Luke Ronchi.
Photo: Photosport

Canterbury’s in-form all-rounder Henry Shipley is poised to make his Black Caps debut after being selected in the ODI squads for back-to-back three-match series in Pakistan and India, in January.

The Black Caps have named split ODI squads for each series, as player and staff workloads continue to be managed.

Captains Kane Williamson (white-ball) and Tim Southee (Test), along with coaches Gary Stead and Shane Jurgensen, will return home after the Pakistan ODIs in Karachi (January 10, 12, 14), to begin preparations for the England home Test series in mid-February.

Luke Ronchi will take over as head-coach for the three-game ODI (January 18, 21, 24) and T20I (January 27, 29, February 1) series in India, and will be assisted by NZC network coaches Bob Carter and Paul Wiseman.

Tom Latham will captain the ODI series against India, with Auckland Aces left-hander Mark Chapman and Otago Volts pace-bowler Jacob Duffy earning recalls to replace Williamson and Southee for the series.

Batsman Henry Nicholls (58 ODIs) and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (37 ODIs) have been recalled for both series.

The squad for the T20I series against India will be named in the week of 9 January, after the opening rounds of the Dream11 Super Smash.

The 26-year-old Shipley hails from Greendale in Canterbury and has been a stand-out player on the domestic scene for the past few seasons, delivering a number of match-winning performances across the formats, impressing the selectors with his all-round skills.

A tall (1.96m) right-arm pace bowler and middle order power batsman, Shipley was the leading wicket-taker in last season’s Dream11 Super Smash and was currently joint-second on the Ford Trophy wicket-taking table after claiming a hat-trick against the Wellington Firebirds in November.

Selector Gavin Larsen said Shipley had been picked on form.

“Henry’s an exciting talent who we’ve had our eye on for a while,” Larsen said.

“He’s taken his game to another level in the past 12 months, and we’re delighted to see his progression given how valuable genuine all-rounders are in any cricket team.”

“It’s encouraging to see players putting their hands up in our domestic competitions and their performances being rewarded with selection for the national team,” he said.

Kyle Jamieson was unavailable for selection as he continued his recovery from a back injury.

Larsen said it was a balanced ODI squad with a mix of experienced players, along with a nod to the future.

“We’re lucky to have a strong group of proven-performers in one-day cricket and it’s exciting to see new blood emerging in the form of Henry Shipley.

“The tour will also present further opportunities for the likes of Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips, and Mark Chapman, who are hugely talented but still relatively inexperienced at international ODI level.

“It’s also great to welcome back the familiar faces of Henry Nicholls and Jacob Duffy, who were with the ODI team in Europe in the winter and have been in good form domestically.”

Larsen said the back-to-back ODI series would provide vital preparation ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India next October-November.

“This is a great opportunity to take on two quality white-ball sides in sub-continental conditions,” he said.

“It’s going to be tough cricket against world-class opposition which should prove a real test of a player’s skill and temperament.

“With the one-day World Cup less than a year away in India, it’s the perfect time to be playing these sides at home as we look to nail down our game-plans, and understand the different situations and conditions we may encounter.”

The ODI players will depart for Pakistan on 4 January.

The Test tour party will depart Auckland on Wednesday.

BLACKCAPS ODI squads v Pakistan and India

Kane Williamson (c) (Pakistan ODIs only)

Tom Latham (captain – India ODIs)

Finn Allen

Michael Bracewell

Mark Chapman (India ODIs only)

Devon Conway

Jacob Duffy (India ODI’s only)

Lockie Ferguson

Matt Henry

Adam Milne

Daryl Mitchell

Henry Nicholls

Glenn Phillips

Mitchell Santner

Henry Shipley

Ish Sodhi

Tim Southee (Pakistan ODIs only)