Canterbury's Henry Shipley will return from injury when he lines up for New Zealand XI in a one-off T20 warm-up against Sri Lanka on Monday.
Shipley, who has represented the Black Caps in eight ODIs and five T20Is, has faced a sustained period on the sideline since suffering a stress fracture in his back while playing for Sussex in the English County Championship in July, 2023.
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He last featured in a competitive match in last season’s Ford Trophy final for Canterbury against Auckland, but a recurrence of the injury saw him sidelined for the New Zealand winter and the start of the 2024-25 New Zealand domestic summer.
Shipley impressed in his international introduction in the opening half of 2023, playing a key role in the home ODI and T20I series wins over Sri Lanka, in which he claimed career-best ODI figures of five for 31 in a Player of the Match performance in the opening ODI at Eden Park.
The New Zealand XI match will serve as preparation for the visiting Sri Lanka side, ahead of the T20I series against the Black Caps starting at Bay Oval on December 28.
Experienced Northern top-order batter Joe Carter will captain the side, which includes a host of talent from around the country.
Auckland Aces power-hitter Bevon Jacobs is set to feature, fresh from his selection by the Mumbai Indians in last month’s IPL auction.
Aces left-armer Ben Lister will have an opportunity in top level cricket for the first time this season, after sustaining a rib injury during a warm-up match for the Aces in the lead-in to the domestic season in October.
Northern Brave fast bowlers Kristian Clarke and Matt Fisher join Shipley and Lister in the pace bowling stocks, while Aces leg-spinner Adi Ashok and Canterbury allrounder Raunaq Kapur add spin options.
Off-spinner Kapur, who is part of the Canterbury development programme, has played international cricket for Hong Kong and featured for New Zealand in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament last month.
NZC high performance coaches Bob Carter and Paul Wiseman will coach the squad.
Carter said he was delighted to see Shipley making a return.
“Henry’s had his fair share of injury setbacks over the past couple of seasons and he’s shown real resilience on his long road back to fitness,” said Carter.
“He’s shown his ability on the international stage already so the warm-up against Sri Lanka will be a great chance for him to continue his progress and test himself against a strong international side.
Carter said the match would offer a lot for the New Zealand XI side.
“The game’s given us the opportunity to pick an experienced group of players who will be relishing the chance to take-on a strong Sri Lanka side,” he said.
“While the match will serve as a warm-up for the Sri Lanka team, it’s also a great opportunity for our guys to get some valuable time on the park ahead of the Super Smash starting later this month.”
New Zealand XI squad v Sri Lanka:
Joe Carter (c) (Northern Districts), Adi Ashok (Auckland), Muhammad Abbas (Wellington),
Matt Boyle (Canterbury), Katene Clarke (Northern Districts), Kristian Clarke (Northern Districts),
Matt Fisher (Northern Districts), Bevon Jacobs (Auckland) Raunaq Kapur (Canterbury),
Ben Lister (Auckland), Callum McLachlan (Wellington), Henry Shipley (Canterbury).