New Zealand Cricket had originally intended the initial group of 30 players for the cup to remain under wraps. Just the final 15, to be named on January 7, would become public.
There were two reasons for the change of heart. One was the realisation there is considerable interest in the likely makeup of the squad, partly because the cup is to be co-hosted in New Zealand, and the fact that New Zealand are playing pretty good, highly watchable cricket right now.
Also add in the R word as a factor, so let's get Jesse Ryder out of the way first.
The country's most polarising player effectively walked out of cup contention when he withdrew from the New Zealand A squad for a series of games in the United Arab Emirates last month, citing personal reasons.
While there was no public berating of Ryder for that decision, which was entirely his, it again raised the question of his reliability. If he was to be picked, would personal reasons, or some other issue of this gifted but troubled player, surface again just before, say, the semifinals? No one could say with certainty.
Might he have been named in the 30 on the basis that if he produces scintillating form in the leadup to the cup there might be a case to pick him? Possibly, but by severing the rope now, selectors Mike Hesson and Bruce Edgar have signalled "time to move on". No more lingering.
"There's so much interest out there in that alone, that rather than have all the speculation - is he in or out - we thought we'd just name the 30 and let everyone know so they can see it for themselves," Edgar said yesterday.
Several players in the 30 are no real chance to make the cup 15, but they may well be placed on a reserve list in case of injury.
Current form has helped some into the group, such as batsmen Rob Nicol and Neil Broom, while Canterbury's Andrew Ellis' chart-topping 18 wickets at only 11 apiece in the Georgie Pie Super Smash T20 can't have hurt his chances.
But if you were to be brutally honest, the final cup squad will be chosen from about 20 of these 30 players.
Certainly there are a couple of areas wide open. Much will depend on how Hesson and Edgar decide to cover their bases within the 15.
Do they, for example, feel they can get away with four specialist seamers, or might they want five, supplemented by the admittedly up-and-down support work of Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham?
How many players do they see as capable of opening? Martin Guptill seems to have one spot locked down. So that leaves, in no order, Tom Latham, Hamish Rutherford, Anton Devcich and maybe Dean Brownlie. The mix means not all of that quartet will make the squad.
Do they need BJ Watling as wicketkeeping/batting cover for Luke Ronchi?
Anticipating pitch conditions, plus analysing pool A opponents will have a part to play in their deliberations.
Edgar's estimate is they have 12 players sorted with competition for the remaining three spots.
There could be a timely boost tomorrow, when the decision on Kane Williamson's bowling action is expected to be released by the International Cricket Council. He has not been allowed to bowl since touring the West Indies in June.
- By David Leggat of the New Zealand Herald
