Cricket's most exotic bowling art has produced the most intriguing selection in the New Zealand XI to play England next week.
Ish Sodhi is a highly regarded 20-year-old at Northern Districts. And he gives the ball a clump too. He belted New Zealand's under-19 team into their World Cup semifinalwith 22 in 10 balls at the death to get his team past the West Indies on the final ball in Queensland last year.
In this season's Plunket Shield, he's taken 20 wickets at an unflattering 44.6.
Yet it looks as if the Punjab-born Sodhi has jumped the queue ahead of two recent international leggies, Todd Astle and Tarun Nethula.
Nethula, who gives the ball a rip, played five ODIs between February and July last year, and limited opportunities in the West Indies led to a loss of confidence.
He missed the tour to South Africa, partly because there wouldn't be much use for his type of fare there.
For Canterbury, Astle - at 26, three years younger than Nethula - has taken just 11 wickets at a pricey 65 runs each this summer.
It may be selectors Mike Hesson and Kim Littlejohn figure they've seen enough of Nethula and Astle, know what they can do and want to cast the net wider.
The New Zealand XI is a developmental side. Time is on their side, but if Sodhi grabs his chance in Queenstown it may come to be seen as a significant step into the future.
New Zealand XI
New Zealand XI to play England in Queenstown, starting February 27: Luke Ronchi (c), Hamish Rutherford, Tom Latham, Carl Cachopa, Dean Brownlie, Neil Broom, Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Mark Gillespie.
