Ruds or Guppy?
Who is going to open alongside Tom Latham in the first test?
All indications are it will be Martin Guptill.
He had a strong finish to the World Cup and recently posted his maiden first-class double century during a English county game for Derbyshire.
But is his defence good enough to open in a test?
And what happens with Hamish Rutherford?
Does he join the other million discarded New Zealand openers on the mountainous scrapheap?
Those of us lucky to see his debut - a scintillating 171 against England at the University Oval - might be inclined to stick with the Otago left-hander.
But he has been short of runs and perhaps it is time for Guptill's return.
Who will replace Anderson?
If Corey Anderson is ruled out - he has a fractured bone in his hand - who will take his place in the test team?
Otago's Jimmy Neesham pulled out of the IPL with a stress fracture, so he is probably out.
Grant Elliott's batting would be handy but he cannot seriously be considered a bowling option in a test, right?
He does have four test wickets and his first-class average of 36.71 is not terrible.
Is Canterbury's Andrew Ellis worth looking at as a stop-gap?
He had a very good first-class season (29 wickets at 32.93, 853 runs at 53.31).
Could spinner Mark Craig fill in and bat at No 7 with gloveman BJ Watling shuffling up one to No 6?
Craig is a much-improved batsman and the move would allow the Black Caps to play four specialist seamers.
It would also leave a long tail.
Wagner, Bracewell or Henry?
Just who is the next best?
Trent Boult and Tim Southee will spearhead the attack, while Neil Wagner and Doug Bracewell have first dibs on the third seamer's role.
Wagner had a fairly ordinary first-class season and appears to have fallen back in the pecking order.
Doug Bracewell got the nod ahead of Wagner for the second test against Sri Lanka but Canterbury's Matt Henry showed his worth when he was called in as a replacement for Adam Milne late in the World Cup campaign.
Black Caps coach Mike Hesson has proven to be loyal in his selections, so Henry might have to wait for that debut.
It cannot be far off, though.
Black Caps tour
The schedule
May 8-11: v Somerset, Taunton
May 14-17: v Worcestershire, Worcester
May 21-25: v England, 1st test, Lord's
May 29-June 2: v England, 2nd test, Headingley
June 6: v Leicestershire, Leicester
June 9: v England, 1st ODI, Edgbaston
June 12: v England, 2nd ODI, The Oval
June 14: v England, 3rd ODI, Rose Bowl
June 17: v England, 4th ODI, Trent Bridge
June 20: v England, 5th ODI, Chester-le-Street
June 24: v England, T20, Old Trafford
Squads
Test: Brendon McCullum, Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Luke Ronchi, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.
ODI and T20: Brendon McCullum, Anderson, Boult, Grant Elliott, Guptill, Henry, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne, Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Southee, Taylor, Williamson.
