WELLINGTON: Senior batsman Ross Taylor has again been kept out of the New Zealand Twenty20 squad named on Sunday to play South Africa later in the week.

New Zealand Cricket announced the Twenty20 and One-day International squads, with Corey Anderson and Tom Bruce preferred over Taylor to prop up the middle order in the game’s shortest form.

Taylor is the third-highest run scorer for New Zealand in Twenty20 cricket but has not been required since the World T20 11 months ago.

Leg spinner Ish Sodhi retained his place in the ODI squad for the first two games along with Mitchell Santner, while big-hitting all-rounder Colin Munro was dropped with Jimmy Neesham taking over the number six spot.

“Colin hasn’t quite shown the consistency he would like in the middle-order and we feel Jimmy is deserved of an opportunity with the bat at six,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “Having two frontline spinners in the side gives us flexibility and Ish is an aggressive bowler who in the right conditions can be a real threat for us.”

Luke Ronchi will also make his return to both forms of the game after missing the recent Australia series because of injury.

“It will be great to have Luke back in the mix,” Larsen said. “He’s the number one white-ball wicket-keeper in the country and brings considerable experience to the group.”

Ronchi’s return means wicket-keeper Tom Blundell was dropped.

Opening batsman Martin Guptill, who missed the last two matches against Australia with an injury, was named in both squads.

New Zealand play South Africa in the one-off Twenty20 in Auckland on Friday and a five-match ODI series starting in Hamilton beginning from Sunday (Feb 19).

Twenty20 squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Wheeler.

ODI squad: Williamson (captain), Boult, Neil Broom, Ferguson, de Grandhomme, Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Neesham, Ronchi, Santner, Southee, Sodhi, Ross Taylor.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2017