Mariu, Nicholls, Lister, Hay in star-studded New Zealand A squad for India A four-dayers
Rhys Mariu will be available for all three matches • Getty Images
New Zealand have named 11 international players in their A squad, which will play India A in three four-day matches - the first of which starts in Lincoln on Saturday - alongside the New Zealand vs India white-ball series.
The New Zealand A squad is a 19-man line-up, with its members set to be rotated through the three games. A total of 13 players have been listed for each four-day match, with the other six players set to be sent to play the 50-overs Ford Trophy, which will start on October 28.
Rhys Mariu will lead New Zealand A in the first and second games, "while captaincy for the third match will be decided in due course" despite Mariu being available for the last game, a New Zealand Cricket statement said.
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Nick Kelly, the newest player to be handed an NZC central contract, "is in line to play game three", while the rest of the star cast includes Adi Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Dean Foxcroft, Matt Fisher, Mitchell Hay, Jayden Lennox, Ben Lister, Henry Nicholls and Tim Robinson.
Apart from Mariu, Foxcroft will also play all three games, as will Matt Boyle, Curtis Heaphy, Simon Keene, Fraser Sheat and Jarrod McKay.
"We're really looking forward to hosting India A," NZC head of high-performance development Pete Sanford said, of the chance for the players to take on players of the calibre of KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal, Auqib Nabi, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal and potentially Rishabh Pant, whose participation is subject to fitness.
Some of these players are expected to make India's Test squad for the two-Test series, starting on November 19 at the end of the white-ball leg of the tour.
"They [India] have announced a very strong line up, which poses a great opportunity for growth as players to test their strengths against international class," Sanford said. "There's a huge buzz around having India on our shores and I know the squad are raring to get their domestic summer underway."
Exciting 21-year-old fast-bowling allrounder Cam Paul will be playing his first New Zealand A fixture (the third game) after missing the previous tour because of injury. In five first-class appearances, Paul has a bowling average of just under 22 and two five-wicket hauls.
"You always want to test yourself against the best and potentially playing against some of those guys is a huge opportunity," Paul said. "I was gutted to just miss out on the last tour, so I'm fizzed to be part of the squad and take that next step up."
New Zealand A squad for 1st four-day match against India A
Rhys Mariu (capt), Matt Boyle, Max Chu, Kristian Clarke, Dean Foxcroft, Zak Gibson, Mitchell Hay (wk), Curtis Heaphy, Simon Keene, Jayden Lennox, Jarrod McKay, Tim Robinson, Fraser Sheat.
New Zealand A squad for 2nd four-day match against India A
Rhys Mariu (capt), Matt Boyle, Kristian Clarke, Matt Fisher, Dean Foxcroft, Zak Gibson, Mitchell Hay (wk), Curtis Heaphy, Simon Keene, Jayden Lennox, Jarrod McKay, Tim Robinson, Fraser Sheat.
New Zealand A squad for 3rd four-day match against India A
Adi Ashok, Matt Boyle, Max Chu (wk), Dean Foxcroft, Curtis Heaphy, Simon Keene, Nick Kelly, Ben Lister, Rhys Mariu, Jarrod McKay, Cam Paul, Henry Nicholls, Fraser Sheat.
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