Christchurch (The Uttam Hindu): All-rounder Henry Shipley will continue his long-awaited return from injury when he lines up for New Zealand XI in a one-off T20 warm-up against Sri Lanka on Monday at Lincoln University, the New Zealand Cricket said on Friday. Shipley, who has represented New Zealand in eight ODIs and five T20Is, has faced a sustained period on the sideline since suffering a stress fracture in his back while playing for Sussex in the English County Championship in July last year. He last featured in a competitive match in last season’s Ford Trophy final for Canterbury against Auckland, but a recurrence of the injury saw him sidelined for the New Zealand winter and the start of the 2024-25 New Zealand domestic summer. NZC high-performance coach Bob Carter said he was delighted to see Shipley making a return. "Henry's had his fair share of injury setbacks over the past couple of seasons and he’s shown real resilience on his long road back to fitness. He’s shown his ability on the international stage already so the warm-up against Sri Lanka will be a great chance for him to continue his progress and test himself against a strong international side," said Carter. The New Zealand XI match will serve as preparation for the visiting Sri Lanka side, ahead of the T20I series against the Black Caps starting at Bay Oval on December 28. Top-order batter Joe Carter will captain the side, which includes a host of talent from around the country. Bevon Jacobs is set to feature, fresh from his selection by the Mumbai Indians in last month’s IPL auction.
Ben Lister will have an opportunity in top-level cricket for the first time this season, after sustaining a rib injury during a warm-up match for the Auckland Aces in the lead-in to the domestic season in October. Northern Brave fast bowlers Kristian Clarke and Matt Fisher join Shipley and Lister in the pace bowling stocks, while Aces leg-spinner Adi Ashok and Canterbury allrounder Raunaq Kapur add spin options. Off-spinner Kapur, who is part of the Canterbury development programme, has played international cricket for Hong Kong and featured for New Zealand in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament last month. Squad: Joe Carter, Adi Ashok, Muhammad Abbas, Matt Boyle, Katene Clarke, Kristian Clarke, Matt Fisher, Bevon Jacobs, Raunaq Kapur, Ben Lister, Callum McLachlan, Henry Shipley.