For Gisborne, South African-born van Wyk will open the batting - which he hasn't done since upping sticks from the republic in 2006 and throwing his lot in with New Zealand - while Watling will keep wicket.
Essentially Wright and assistant selector Kim Littlejohn are going to figure out which player offers more in their weaker skill set.
Van Wyk averages a healthy 38.65 with 4329 runs from 96 first-class games and is a highly capable wicketkeeper for Central Districts.
Watling, who averages 24.5 from six tests as a top order batsman, and 33.07 from 58 first-class games, is a part-time gloveman at Northern Districts and has done some limited-overs keeping for New Zealand.
Is it Watling's job to lose, then?
"Possibly," a cautious Wright said yesterday. "He'll have to do very well. It's a risk but I think it's one we need to investigate.
"I think BJ has got the nod over three or four [contenders] in terms of batting. He'll possibly give us more strength in batting but he's got to satisfy us he's good enough with the gloves, and we'll know more about that after Gisborne."
Van Wyk brought "good fighting qualities", he added.
Tough scrapper Van Wyk was chuffed last night. He has worked hard on his game during the four years he was ineligible for New Zealand, feels his form is good and is desperate to make the most of his opportunity.
"There's absolutely no guarantees I'll start in the test, but I'd much rather be there than not," the 30-year-old, whose first-class debut came 11 years ago for Northern Titans, said.
The bottom line in Wright's mind is getting more runs. Young managed only 22 in four innings in Australia, not enough from the wicketkeeper.
"Most successful teams have a wicketkeeper who is a very strong batting option," Wright said. "England, Australia, India and South Africa have that in their keepers and that's where we need to get to."
The corollary to that is Wright's view that having a bankable run-provider behind the stumps opens the prospect of playing four seamers and a spinner - or as he put it yesterday he wants a balance "that allows us to bat as deep as possible but also gives us many bowling options".
Dan Vettori has been as reliable as any New Zealand batsman over a haphazard past few years, usually batting around No7 or 8.
"We've been a little short of runs in our test performances for the last little while so we really can't afford to be short on bowling," Wright said, which does hint at gaining on the swing what's been lost on the roundabout.
The other interesting aspects of the New Zealand XI are the inclusion of legspinner Tarun Nethula; the prolific but still-ineligible Pretoria-born left arm swing bowler Neil Wagner; handy Otago allrounder Sam Wells; and young Otago opener Michael Bracewell.
Bracewell is 19, averaging 41 from his first six first-class games, and is cousin of current test seamer Doug, son of Mark, and nephew of John and Brendon, all test or first-class players.
The New Zealand XI assemble in Gisborne tomorrow, the same day Zimbabwe arrive in Auckland.
NZ SQUAD
New Zealand squad for the one-off test against Zimbabwe, starting on January 26 in Napier: Ross Taylor (c), Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Dean Brownlie, Dan Vettori, Kruger van Wyk, BJ Watling, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Chris Martin, one to be added.
New Zealand XI to play Zimbabwe at Gisborne, starting on Saturday:
Taylor (c), Michael Bracewell, van Wyk, Watling, Williamson, Vettori, Sam Wells, Tarun Nethula, Brent Arnel, Andy McKay, Neil Wagner, Chris Martin.
