Left-arm wristspinner Michael Rippon earns maiden call-up for New Zealand

By Chris On Jun 21, 2022

Former Netherlands player Michael Rippon has earned his maiden call-up to the New Zealand limited-overs squad that will tour Ireland and Scotland in July and the Netherlands in early August.

According to an NZC media release on Tuesday, Rippon is the first specialist left-arm wristspinner to be selected for the national side. New Zealand will play three ODIs and three T20Is against Ireland from July 10, and then feature in two T20Is and a one-off ODI against Scotland in Edinburgh from July 27. They will then play two T20Is against Netherlands in Amsterdam on August 4 and 5.

Tom Latham will lead the side in the ODI series first up against Ireland in Dublin, before he returns home along with Henry Nicholls, Matt Henry, Will Young and Jacob Duffy. Allrounder Mitchell Santner will take over the captaincy for the remaining tours.

Rippon is part of the contingent that will play three T20Is against Ireland, the limited-overs series against Scotland and Netherlands, for whom he played for in the past.

Kane Williamson’s cousin Dane Cleaver, who is currently with the Test team in England, is the other uncapped player picked in both the T20I squads. Earlier this year, he was picked for the one-off T20I against Netherlands in Napier but that match was abandoned due to bad weather.

“Michael Rippon thoroughly deserves his selection after consistent performances domestically for many seasons now,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “His left-arm wrist spin is a point of difference and he also offers some punch down the order with the bat.

“We’ve got plenty of spin options in the squads and I’m sure both Michaels [Rippon and Bracewell] will relish the chance to rub shoulders with Mitch [Santner] and Ish [Sodhi] and learn off their experience.

“And Dane’s earned his opportunity off the back of his strong form for the Central Stags and it’s great to see his recent call up to the Test squad in England.”

Joining them from the Ireland T20I series onwards will be Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell and Ben Sears.

In 2013, Rippon had moved to New Zealand from South Africa to play for Otago. The 30-year-old has played 31 international games for the Netherlands and recently played against New Zealand in three ODIs at Bay Oval and Seddon Park in March.

That he can play for an entirely new team so soon after playing for an old team is because of an ICC rule which says players can represent an Affiliate or Associate nation while still being available for selection by Full Members. However, once they have been listed on an international match team sheet for a Full Member nation they cannot go back to play for the Affiliate or Associate for three years.

Meanwhile, considering their workload, Williamson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Devon Conway will return to New Zealand following the England Test series. They are likely to return for the white-ball tour of West Indies in August ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia in October.

Fast bowler Adam Milne, who is returning from a hamstring injury that he suffered during IPL 2022, has been selected for both squads. He could play his first ODI in nearly five years, while Glenn Phillips has been included in the ODI squad for the first time.

Opener Finn Allen and seamer Ben Sears could also make their ODI debuts, having already played a handful of T20Is.

“Firstly, it’s really exciting to be embarking on tours of these developing cricket nations,” Larsen said. “With more Full Member nations playing them both home and away we’re seeing how much they’re improving and we know they’ll fancy their chances in their own conditions.

“Coming off the back of the England Test series and in the middle of another busy year, these tours were always going to be an opportunity to further test our depth in white-ball cricket.”

Head coach Gary Stead will take a short break with Shane Jurgensen leading the coaching staff for the Ireland leg of the tour with Luke Ronchi and former England international Luke Wright. Jurgensen and Ronchi will then fly home, with Stead returning as head coach to be joined by Graeme Aldridge (bowling), Dean Brownlie (batting) and Wright (fourth coach) for the Scotland, Netherlands and West Indies series.

The first group will depart New Zealand for Ireland on July 3.

ODI squad for Ireland: Tom Latham (capt&wk), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Dane Cleaver (wk), Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young

Squad for Ireland T20Is, Scotland and the Netherlands series: Mitchell Santner (capt), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rippon, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner

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