KEY POINTS:
Just when we thought the World Cup squad was about to pick itself, along came Kyle Mills to throw a scalpel in the works.
This week's loss of the front-line New Zealand paceman to a patella tendon injury has reopened the debate on the 15-strong squad, to be
named on Tuesday along with a 12-man outfit for next Friday's Chappell-Hadlee Series opener in Wellington.
From the moment Nathan Astle was visited by a retirement dream somewhere between Adelaide and Perth, it seemed as if the World Cup party was to be an exact replica of the eventual tri-series squad, especially after replacement opener Lou Vincent made such an impact.
That would have meant Hamish Marshall, who was dropped for Scott Styris at the halfway point of the series, and Andre Adams, who made way for Mills, would have missed out on the final cut, with a cluster of other hopefuls.
But with Mills expected to be sidelined for the best part of a year, attention will now turn to his likely replacement and the question of whether Adams has done enough to win an instant recall above his main rivals.
It's never easy trying to second guess someone like John Bracewell, but the fact that Adams was initially picked for the series against Sri Lanka and the subsequent campaign in Australia, seems to suggest that he's viewed as the next cab off the rank.
For all that, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if there was also some support for former international Daryl Tuffey, on the grounds that he already has 90 ODI wickets under his belt, and has experience in both the West Indies and the World Cup.
Tuffey hasn't exactly demanded a recall on his domestic form, but was such a strong campaigner for New Zealand before being lowered by injury, that it would be a surprise if he doesn't rate a mention in the final wash-up.
There could also be an argument made for the inclusion of Wellington paceman Iain O'Brien, given he was brought in as cover for the one-day squad during the build-up to the first game against Sri Lanka last month.
Even test specialist Chris Martin, viewed as the five-day team's spearhead, must rate a chance if Bracewell is worried about the lack of penetration during the recent tri-series.
And there could yet be a twist to the story if Bracewell decides that he has enough pace options in Bond, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie, Michael Mason and Jacob Oram, and would prefer to carry another slow-bowling all-rounder to the Caribbean.
That could open up the race to someone like ODI veteran Chris Harris, or even Brendon McCullum's older brother Nathan - a fierce and combative off-spinner who is an outstanding fieldsman, and can open his shoulders at the end of the innings.
World Cup
* Caribbean, starts March 13
* Possible NZ squad: Stephen Fleming (c), Lou Vincent, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, James Franklin, Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel, Peter Fulton, Michael Mason, Andre Adams.
Chappell-Hadlee Series
* Wellington, Friday
* Auckland, February 18
* Hamilton, February 20