Cricket: Black Caps drop McMillan from Bangladesh tests

3.50pm

Black Caps batsman Craig McMillan has been dropped from the test squad to tour Bangladesh next month.

Coach John Bracewell has chosen Hamish Marshall instead of McMillan and said he believed Marshall could handle stepping into the test arena following some good results in one-day internationals.

"Hamish has had previous success in the subcontinent on New Zealand A tours and that experience will be important in the conditions we will be playing in. He will bat in the middle order where he is a different sort of player than the likes of (Scott) Styris and (Nathan) Astle," Bracewell said.

He said McMillan was likely to rejoin the squad for the one-day series.

Daryl Tuffey is also out in order to give him the chance to regain his fitness and rhythm.

"Looking down the track to Australia and Sri Lanka, he (Tuffey) is very important and every step needs to be taken to ensure he is ready for both the home and away series this summer," Bracewell said.

Tuffey was also likely to rejoin the squad for the one day series against Bangladesh.

Bracewell said after recent form in England, James Franklin was the logical option to fill in for Tuffey during the tests.

Paul Wiseman and Chris Martin have also been recalled after having played for New Zealand A in South Africa.

The Bangladesh tour will involve two tests and three one day matches.

The test squad is: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Ian Butler, James Franklin, Hamish Marshall, Chris Martin, Brendan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Michael Papps, Mark Richardson, Scott Styris, Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman.

The Black Caps playing schedule for their tour of Bangladesh is:

October 14-16, warm-up match, Dhaka
October 19-23, first test, Dhaka
October 26-30, second test, Chittagong
November 2 first ODI, Chittagong
November 5, second ODI, Dhaka (D/N)
November 7, third ODI, Dhaka (D/N).

- NZPA