Cricket: Resting the priority

A rest last summer paid off for Brendon McCullum. Photo / Getty Images

Stars to miss limited overs games against Pakistan to stay fresh for a busy summer

At least four frontline New Zealand cricketers, including captain Brendon McCullum, are expected to miss the limited overs matches against Pakistan next month to avoid burnout during the World Cup summer.

McCullum is likely to be joined by Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, as fellow regulars across all formats, to ensure they're well rested for the two tests against Sri Lanka (the first starts Boxing Day) and the remainder of an international summer itinerary which includes nine ODIs and two warm-up games before the World Cup, starting on February 14.

Missing the shorter formats against Pakistan will give the quartet, who are paramount to New Zealand's World Cup campaign, an extra fortnight's recuperation.

Ross Taylor, as the country's premier batsman, is also a candidate for a spell, although that depends on how his right calf strain handles the rigours of the three Pakistan tests.

But, along with Williamson, he missed the ODI series against South Africa and will be keen to establish early-season form.

Some thought is being given to Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham and possibly even BJ Watling being given spells on the sidelines, depending on how much each is used during the test series.

Resting the country's top players will dilute the credibility of the ODI series, making it look more like a warm-up, but the decision has World Cup merit.

The players contesting peripheral spots in the New Zealand team get a final chance to state their cases, including New Zealand A batsmen Anton Devcich and Dean Brownlie, bowlers Matt Henry and Adam Milne, all-rounders Jesse Ryder, Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme and wicketkeeper-batsman Derek de Boorder.

An experienced player like Kyle Mills will captain the team in McCullum's absence, as occurred last year when New Zealand drew the one-day series 1-1 with Sri Lanka.

On Friday, Mills was named to lead the New Zealand A side who will tour the United Arab Emirates concurrently as the top side play four matches against World Cup qualifiers the UAE, Afghanistan and Ireland (twice) from November 23 to December 1.

Several members of that 13-man squad will remain to contest two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals against Pakistan. The ODI team return home just before Christmas.

Daniel Vettori offers another leadership option but is more likely to concentrate on establishing a presence back in the top team after a lengthy absence.

The move to rest players mirrors what happened last summer when McCullum and Taylor were rotated out of the side and Williamson missed the series with a broken thumb. Each went on to enjoy stellar batting summers against the West Indies and India.