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NZ 'A' Squads Packed with BlackCaps for Sri Lanka Development Tour

New Zealand Cricket has announced strong NZ 'A' squads featuring nine internationally-capped players for a development tour to Sri Lanka. The tour, starting April 5, will consist of three 50-over matches and two four-day fixtures across Galle and Hambantota. Five players, including Ryan Harrison and Jarrod McKay, have received their first NZ A call-ups after impressive domestic seasons. Selection Manager Gavin Larsen emphasized the tour's importance for player development within the high-performance programme.

Key Points: NZ 'A' Squads for Sri Lanka Tour Announced

  • Nine players with international experience selected
  • Tour includes three 50-over and two four-day matches
  • Five players earn maiden NZ A call-ups
  • Key players will depart to join senior BlackCaps squads
2 min read

Robinson, Sears among 9 int'l players named in NZ 'A' squads for SL tour

Nine international players named in New Zealand A squads for tour of Sri Lanka featuring 50-over and four-day matches in Galle and Hambantota.

"Being able to offer some of our best performing domestic players opportunities to work on their game overseas is crucial - Gavin Larsen"

Christchurch, March 31

Nine players with international experience have been named across the New Zealand A squads to tour Sri Lanka later this month.

The tour comprises three 50-over matches and two four-day matches across Galle and Hambantota, starting April 5.

Eight BlackCaps feature in the NZ 'A' 50-over squad in Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Mitch Hay, Ben Lister, Rhys Mariu, Ben Sears, and Tim Robinson.

Abbas, Ashok, Clarke, and Sears will depart the A tour to join the ODI squad in Bangladesh, with Robinson also departing after the first red-ball game to join the BlackCaps T20I squad.

The red-ball squad will be bolstered by four pace-bowlers in New Zealand's latest Test debutant Michael Rae, Otago's Jarrod McKay, and Canterbury's Fraser Sheat, along with allrounders Auckland Aces' Ryan Harrison and Wellington Firebirds' Peter Younghusband.

Maiden NZ A call-ups have been earned by Harrison, McKay, Sheat, and Younghusband, as well as Auckland Aces' Rohit Gulati, after impressive performances for their provinces throughout the season.

Selection Manager Gavin Larsen said it was exciting to reward players with opportunities to continue their development.

"Being able to offer some of our best performing domestic players opportunities to work on their game overseas is crucial to the success of our high performance programme.

"We've seen some incredible successes during the summer, with series wins against England, the West Indies, India away, and South Africa, all while relying heavily on our stocks in our domestic system," he said.

The 50-Over squad depart to Sri Lanka on Friday 3 April, followed by the four-day squad members on 10 April.

Squads:

NZ A to Sri Lanka 50-over: Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Matthew Boyle, Max Chu, Kristian Clarke, Rohit Gulati, Mitch Hay, Curtis Heaphy, Simon Keene, Ben Lister, Rhys Mariu, Dale Phillips, Tim Pringle, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears

NZ A to Sri Lanka four-day: Matthew Boyle, Max Chu, Rohit Gulati, Ryan Harrison, Mitch Hay, Curtis Heaphy, Simon Keene, Ben Lister, Rhys Mariu, Jarrod McKay, Dale Phillips, Tim Pringle, Michael Rae, Tim Robinson, Fraser Sheat, Peter Younghusband

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting squad. A tour to Sri Lanka is a tough challenge, especially in those conditions. Will be a good test for their spin game. Hope some of these players get to play the senior team in the subcontinent soon.
R
Rohit P
Ben Sears is a seriously quick bowler. Saw him in the IPL briefly. If he stays fit, he could be a real asset for NZ in all formats. Good to see him getting more game time.
S
Sarah B
As a cricket fan, I always enjoy following A tours. It's where you see the future stars. The schedule seems packed – three ODIs and two four-day matches. That's proper development cricket.
V
Vikram M
The selector mentioned series wins against India away... have to give credit where it's due, that was a fantastic performance by NZ. Our boys will be eager for the rematch! This A tour is smart planning for future subcontinent tours.
K
Karthik V
While it's great for NZ, I sometimes feel our own India A tours don't get enough spotlight or broadcast. These matches are crucial. BCCI should promote them more for fans like us who love following upcoming talent.
M
Michael C
Solid selections based on domestic form. That's the way to do it

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