NZ desperate to rescue battered pride
New Zealand will seek to regain some pride after a battering in the test series when they take on South Africa in three one-day internationals, starting in Paarl on Saturday.
"It's a new form of the game and half the group are a new set of faces as well," said seam bowler Kyle Mills, one of seven players in the squad who did not play in the two innings defeats suffered by New Zealand in the test matches.
"Our one-day form has been pretty good. There is respect around the world that we are a quality white ball unit."
It will nevertheless be a huge challenge for the Black Caps, who were outclassed in the test matches and will be up against eight of the players who humiliated the tourists in Cape Town earlier this week.
In New Zealand's favour is that the South African one-day team is not as settled as the test outfit.
Star allrounder Jacques Kallis has been rested and other key players such as fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel are unlikely to play in all three matches.
South Africa are likely to rotate their squad as they seek their best combination for the 50-overs form of the game ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June.
Four of their players have yet to play a one-day international, although Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock and Aaron Phangiso have played in Twenty20 internationals, while Rory Kleinveldt has appeared in both T20 internationals and test matches.
New Zealand will again be without disaffected former captain Ross Taylor and they too have new one-day caps in Mitchell McClenaghan, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Neil Wagner and Ronnie Hira.
All, except Hira, have played against South Africa on the current tour – McClenaghan, Munro and Neesham in the T20s and Wagner and Munro in the test series.
The venues for the three matches are in some of South Africa's smaller centres.
New Zealand played a three-day warm-up match in Paarl, 60km from Cape Town, before the test series.
The pitch is expected to have more pace and bounce than the lifeless surface on which that game was played but New Zealand will be hoping that the South African pace bowlers are not as rampant as they were in the most recent one-day international at the Boland Park ground.
Sri Lanka were bowled out for 43 in January, 2012, the lowest total recorded against South Africa, after the hosts made 301 for eight.
The Sri Lankan innings was under floodlights, however, while Saturday's clash is a day game.
The other two matches are in Kimberley and Potchefstroom, which normally offer batsman-friendly conditions.
SQUADS:
South Africa: AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Robbie Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
NEW ZEALAND: Brendon McCullum (capt, wkt), Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Rob Nicol, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.
FIXTURES:
Jan 19: First one-day international, Paarl (day)
Jan 22: Second one-day international, Kimberley (day-night)
Jan 25: Third one-day international, Potchefstroom (day-night)
