Black Caps coach Gary Stead isn't anticipating much down time following a successful home summer of cricket, with preparations for the world test championship final against India in June about to shift up a gear.
Black Caps coach Gary Stead Photo: Photosport
New Zealand's 65-run Twenty20 win over Bangladesh last night in Auckland concluded an impressive run of home results in which they lost only three games out of 21 over seven series against the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh.
There'll be little time for players to relax, however. Most of New Zealand's contingent of IPL players are already on the way to India, and Stead will be naming a 20-strong squad next week to contest two tests against England on June 2 and 10 before the world test championship final.
The coach admits there's a lot to keep track of over the next couple of months, and says the extended squad will be named with that in mind.
"There's a whole heap of different moving parts," he said. "We've got a number of guys who are at the IPL, or going in the next 24 hours.
"We'll have the rest of our contracted players take two or three weeks off completely, then we'll charge up again in the back end of April and early May and have a couple of camps before we head over to England."
Stead says the extended squad will cover a lot of different options, with the likelihood that players from the IPL will be joining at different times.
"That'll be tough for some guys that'll have to come home and miss that opportunity."
He said the composition of the 20-strong squad had been tricky.
"We've selected what our 11, 12 or 13 will be depending on conditions, then we've tried to look at making sure we've got cover for each of those spots as well.
"It's an exciting group that's going over there, and it's a group that's also proven themselves over a period of time."
Stead said skipper Kane Williamson was heading to the IPL in a good frame of mind following rest and rehab of an elbow tendon tear, while Colin de Grandhomme was also recovering well from ankle surgery.
"It's still a race against time, but we're hopeful he'll still play a part in the England test series and the world test championship final."
Stead wouldn't be drawn on whether or not in-form newcomer Devon Conway will make the squad, but has been impressed with his performance to date.
"Devon looks like he's got all the skills of being an amazing player," he said.
"We're really fortunate at the moment we've had people in our squad like your Ross Taylors and your Kane Williamsons as well, and you see someone like a Devon Conway come along and think 'here's another guy that could also be in that class'."
