Black Caps coach Gary Stead is looking forward to their depth being tested during the limited overs series against Bangladesh over the next couple of weeks.
Will Young Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The three-match ODI series starts in Dunedin on Saturday and is then followed by three T20 internationals.
There could be as many as three debutants in the opening game.
The home side will be without their two most experienced batsmen for at least the first game with captain Kane Williamson out with an elbow injury and Ross Taylor missing the first game with a hamstring problem. Allrounder Colin de Grandhomme is also unavailable as he has had surgery on an ankle problem.
Stead is keenly looking at his extended ODI squad ahead of the 2023 World Cup in India.
"It is exciting as coach when you sit round the selection table and start looking at the names you expect to keep coming through the way they are developing," Stead said. "It's hard to write 15 names down when there could be up to 30 vying for those spots, that's a good place to be though," he said.
"The strength of New Zealand cricket at the moment is seen in the Black Caps but it's also driven from below that with our New Zealand A programmes. The domestic game as well is also in good heart because we are producing people who perform well when they come to international level."
Debutants Devon Conway, Will Young and Daryl Mitchell were all included in the initial Black Caps ODI squad, while Mark Chapman was added as cover for Taylor. Tom Latham captains the side in Williamson's absence.
Conway, who has impressed in T20's this summer is an obvious replacement for Williamson up the batting order while Young should replace Taylor in the first game.
"The opportunity for Devon and Will to come in in those positions is exciting and they're both fine players as we've seen in the past, so really looking forward to the opportunity those guys get and I know they'll be looking forward to it as well."
Williamson and Taylor have scored a third of New Zealand's ODI runs in the last five years, so how do the Black Caps cope with that?
"You don't, that's just the reality of it, but they're two positions in the order that we have a lot of faith in and strength in New Zealand cricket as well and for Devon and Will to have waited to get their chance then they'll be up for it."
New Zealand have won all eight of their ODI's at the University of Otago Oval. Their last was against Bangladesh in 2019 when Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham all scored half centuries and Tim Southee took six wickets in an 88-run victory.
Tamin Iqbal Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand's last ODI was the first game of the abandoned series against Australia in Sydney in March last year. Australia won that game by 71 runs.
"We haven't played a lot of ODI cricket for a while but the good thing is domestically there has been the Ford Trophy recently and so there are guys coming off some good form in that," Stead said.
"Sometimes ODI cricket internationally can be few and far between and so for us it's been a while, almost a year to the day that we played Australia and so we're looking forward to getting back into this format."
New Zealand is second in the ODI world rankings behind India, while Bangladesh are seventh.
Bangladesh have won their last six ODI's including beating the West Indies three-nil in January.
"We're looking forward to the challenge ahead, I think Bangladesh are an improving side and they seem to be developing more depth across their team as well so we certainly won't be taking them lightly and I think they've learnt to scrap better in the last three or four years."
The game in Dunedin starts at 11am on Saturday followed by Christchurch on Tuesday and Wellington on Friday. The three T20 internationals are played at Hamilton, Napier and Auckland.
The T20's are a part of a double header series which includes the White Ferns against Australia.
