Michael Rippon gets his maiden call-up in the New Zealand squad for white-ball tours 

New Zealand former leg spinner all-rounder Michael Rippon has been named in the 15-player squad for New Zealand’s upcoming white-ball tours. The New Zealand Cricket Board announced on Tuesday (June 21) that Rippon will be joined by an uncapped wicket keeper Dane Cleaver - who has been selected for the squads. Glenn Pillips gets his maiden call up and Adam Milne is back in both T20I and ODI set-up after having last played in the T20 World Championship last year. Along with Finn Allen and Ben Sears, Rippon is in the queue to make his ODI debut in five years. 

The ODI series against Ireland will be led by Tom Latham and later Mitchell Santner will be taking over the responsibility in the T20Is. New Zealand will follow a busy schedule as they take on Ireland for three ODIs followed by 3 T20s in Belfast. Later they travel to Edinburgh for two T20s and an ODI against Scotland before Amsterdam for two T20Is on August 4 and 5. However, Latham, along with Henry Nicholls, Jacob Duffy, Will Young and Matt Henry, will depart home post the conclusion of the ODI series in Ireland. 

Rippon, the 30-year-old all-rounder moved to New Zealand from South Africa in the year 2013. Until now he has represented Netherlands on 31 occasions. A member of the New Zealand board stated his move to New Zealand cricket by saying, "The International board's eligibility rules allow players to represent an affiliate or associate nation while still remaining available for a full member nation". The statement furher stated, "However, once they have been listed on an International match team-sheet for a full member nation they cannot return to play for the affiliate or associate for three years".

Cleaver is presently with the New Zealand test team in England and has been reserved for the T20 wicket-keeper role as well. Being selected to face the Netherlands in a one-day off T20I in march at Napier, but the match was cancelled due to bad weather conditions. 

Key players such as Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Devon Conway, and Trent Boult will be given rest post-completion of their Test series with England. However, they are expected to return to the team for the white ball series against West Indies in August. Team head coach Gary Stead will also take a break for the series against Ireland, handing over the duty to Shane Jurgensen, while the batting coaches in the forms of Luke Ronchi and Luke Wright will be there for support. Jurgensen and Ronchi will depart home after the Ireland series. Gary stead will be returning as the head coach accompanied by Dean Brownlie (batting), Graeme Aldridge (bowling), and Wright (fourth coach) for the Scotland, Netherlands and West Indies series.