"There's no point in wrapping him up in cotton wool," he said of the 22-year-old from Palmerston North. "It's time to take the handbrake off and let him get amongst it."
Pringle is in Hawke's Bay with his son, Tim, 12, who is competing at the inaugural North Island Year 7-8 Cricket Tournament.
The right-armer, who played 14 tests and 64 ODIs from 1990-95, took 11-152 on debut against Pakistan in 1990-91.
In a 1990 ODI at Hobart against Australia, Pringle was due to bowl the 50th and final over of the innings with the hosts needing two to win. He bowled a maiden over with batsman Bruce Reid run out going for the tie. The Kiwis won by a run.
Pringle reckons seamer Matt Henry, 23, of Canterbury, is unlucky not to make the cut.
"I think he's running at about three wickets a game, which is pretty unheard of in international cricket [although] I know he hasn't played too many games," the 46-year-old said, adding the top bowlers tended to gravitate towards 1.6 wickets a game during their careers.
"I know it'll be hard for him to probably sustain that but I felt he was unlucky."
Injured veteran Kyle Mills, of Auckland, deserved selection based on previous performances.
"But he's not a young man and he hasn't got another gear. Yes, he's got experience and that'll count but I'd like to have seen more fresh legs."
The 35-year-old, who played for Auckland against Northern Districts in the Ford Trophy on Sunday, is unlikely to come under scrutiny in the international arena until at least the fifth game of the series against Sri Lanka, in Dunedin on Friday next week, if not the sixth, at the same venue two days later.
However, Pringle felt CD seamer Doug Bracewell hadn't played enough white-ball cricket and hadn't helped his cause with off-field issues that saw him miss game time through injury.
"He's the one who should probably play a little more red-ball cricket but he's an option who bats and also is a good fielder."
Versatility, he felt, was imperative for bowlers in the limited-overs game.
"You've got to have the slower ball, the slower bouncer and you've got to bowl the yorkers when you're required so it's a tough gig."
The Black Caps selectors made a wise move in picking Northern Districts left-armer Trent Boult.
"He is, with Tim Southee, our best bowler to take wickets especially with two white balls."
In the cup, if teams find themselves in the comfort zone of none for 100 they would be guaranteed 350-plus totals.
"You've got to take wickets with that new ball. Even if Trent bowls only five or six overs and takes two 2 for 30-odd then I'll be happy as."
The ex-Auckland domestic fast bowler believes the wickets in the two countries will offer more to bowlers than they did in the 1992 cup.
"It'll be far better than when the Gavin Larsens, Chris Pringles, Rod Lathams and Dipak Patels had to take the pace off the ball to make it difficult to score on slow pitches with the right fields."
While they would be devoid of sideways movement, he suspected, they would be dry and hard, to offer spinners some traction, too.
Spinner Daniel Vettori's stellar record was hard to emulate.
"I really hope he proves me wrong but I wonder if he still has the guile. Although he's not taking wickets, he's stopping the scoring, but if two guys are on 70, 80 or 100 they'll take after him if he hasn't got something extra.
"If batsmen are going I can seen him going as well."
ND leggie Ish Sodhi isn't ready while Otago's Mark Craig "was too attacking, happy to give away runs and doesn't care and just wants wickets so he's too big a gamble".
Pringle sees left-arm orthodox Anton Devcich as a "reasonable" option to back Nathan McCullum and bat at No7.
He felt sorry for Jimmy Neesham, from a batting perspective, but was equally for Tom Latham's selection to forge partnerships with Kane Williamson or Ross Taylor.
However, opener Martin Guptill concerns Pringle.
"I hope he finds a way to get back to the way he used to hit the balls into the stands for six and still have his head down watching the ball."
Captain Brendon McCullum rated the Aucklander but Pringle said it was a while since fans saw the best of him.
He doesn't think the Kiwis are a certainty to win the cup.
"We may make the semifinals and if we do then we may just dig deeper to find something special."
