Kyle Jamieson felt some tightness in his hamstring after coming back from Bangladesh, where the Black Caps played in the two-match World Test Championship series. Jamieson flew to Dunedin on Thursday, a couple of days after the Test squad returned to New Zealand on Tuesday evening. New Zealand Head Coach Gary Stead decided to keep Jamieson out as a precaution.

“We’re taking a cautious approach with Kyle [Jamieson],” he said.

“We want to be cautious with his return, especially at the beginning of our home summer. While he could play if absolutely necessary, we don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. That’s why we’ve brought in Ben for the first match.

“Sears hasn’t played in an ODI yet, but he was part of the squad for last year’s Chappell-Hadlee Series in Cairns. He’s already made his debut for the Black Caps in the shortest format.

“Ben is familiar with the team environment, and it’s great to see him back at full fitness for the Firebirds.

“The three-match ODI series starts on December 17, with matches in Dunedin, Nelson, and Napier.”

New Zealand squad:
Tom Latham, , Finn Allen, Jacob Duffy,Adam Milne, Tom Blundell,Will Young, Ben Sears, Adi Ashok (matches 2 and 3),Kyle Jamieson, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson,  Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi (match 1), Henry Nicholls.