Cricket: Williamson's injury throws Mills into frying pan with captaincy

Kyle Mills is one of our top ODI seamers. Photo / Ron Burgin

There are better times to be given the captaincy of your country, but Kyle Mills is unlikely to complain.

New Zealand's senior bowler will lead the side on their five-game limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka, starting next Sunday, replacing Kane Williamson, who was standing in for Brendon McCullum.

Williamson is back home nursing a fractured thumb. McCullum and Ross Taylor are sitting the Sri Lankan trip out, when a strong argument could be made that, after the last two ODIs against Bangladesh, New Zealand need all the stiffening they can get.

Anyway Mills, after 154 ODIs and at 34, won't lack resolve, remains among the country's best short form seamers and will demand high standards from the players.

Poisoned chalice? Mills is unlikely to see his promotion, even if only short term, in that light.

There is a suggestion of frying pans and fires about this trip. Having been undone twice by Bangladesh, consider that New Zealand have won just five out of 24 ODIs in Sri Lanka, have lost the past six completed games and the most recent win was in 2003.

Sri Lanka also boast top class international players such as Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Matthews, Ajantha Mendis and Thisara Perera. They haven't played for four months but there's not much chance of New Zealand catching them on the hop in their own back yard.

Veteran seamer Ian Butler is a late withdrawal, struck down by a back injury, so his spot has gone to Canterbury allrounder Andrew Ellis.

Williamson has been replaced by Rob Nicol, last sighted in Paarl last January and thought gone for good. His ODI average is 34 - bolstered by two centuries against Zimbabwe - but it seemed his days were over.

Auckland's impressive short-form batsman Anaru Kitchen would have been worth a look. Over half the contracted players in the country this season have played for New Zealand, but not Kitchen, who has decent 50-over and T20 numbers.

And Neil Broom, who last appeared for New Zealand in the 2009-10 season, is back for the last part of the trip.

His rapid century for Otago against Perth Scorchers - 117 off 56 balls - in the Champions League in September might have contributed to a recall.