Mills, Styris and Oram to miss Australia tour

Kyle Mills, Scott Styris and Jacob Oram, the injured New Zealand bowlers, have not been included in the squad 14-man squad to tour Australia for the Commonwealth Bank series beginning on January 12.

The squad was not very different from the one currently involved in a five-match series against Sri Lanka. James Marshall, who averaged 18.33 in the first three one-day games against Sri Lanka, wasn't included in the squad for the month-long series.

John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, said that the management did not want the injured players to enter a fitness race and get back into international cricket too early. "They will return when ready, even if it is part way through the tour," he said.

"Because of the looming World Cup, we are managing the selection process for this tour differently to other tours," Bracewell explained. "The selectors have reserved the right to interchange the squad at any time during the tour."

The Commonwealth Bank series, in which Australia, England and New Zealand meet each other four times before the top two teams play out a best-of-three finals, begins with Australia playing England at Melbourne.

Stephen Fleming (capt), Nathan Astle, Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Hamish Marshall, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, James Franklin, Dan Vettori, Jeetan Patel, Andre Adams, Mark Gillespie, Michael Mason, Shane Bond