CRICKET WORLD

Opening batsman Jesse Ryder will return to international cricket for the first time in seven months after being selected in the New Zealand squad for next month's Twenty20 World Cup.

Ryder was injured while playing for New Zealand at the Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament in September and missed most of New Zealand's domestic season after having surgery to strengthen his abdominal wall.

He scored 103 from 109 balls for Wellington province last week in his first first-class match since his injury.

Canterbury batsman Rob Nicol is the only new cap in the 15-man New Zealand squad. The Kiwis will be based in Georgetown, Guyana during the pool stages of the World Cup which runs from April 27 to May 16.

"We are excited about the side and believe that they will go well in the tournament," New Zealand coach and selection panel spokesman Mark Greatbatch said.

"We have a mix of players who are competitive on the world stage in the Twenty20 format. Obviously, we will need to be consistent with our performances and build momentum through pool play."

Daryl Tuffey and Neil Broom were not considered for selection because of injury while medium pacer Ian Butler, all-rounder Jacob Oram and batsman Aaron Redmond are returning from injury layoffs.

Greatbatch said Nicol had earned his international callup after a strong domestic season.

"Rob Nicol comes in to the side on the back of some very good domestic form, particularly in the shorter form of the game," he said.

New Zealand will play in Group B with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The tournament runs from April 30 to May 16.

New Zealand squad: Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Aaron Redmond, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.