Countdown for World Cup starts with team selection

New Zealand has named two new caps in their side to compete for the CricInfo Women's World Cup starting in Christchurch on November 29.

Nineteen-year-old Canterbury University engineering student Erin McDonald and 22-year-old Emily Travers, who both play for State Central Districts in the national competition, have been included in the CLEAR White Ferns side named today by selection convener Lesley Murdoch.

The full squad is: Emily Drumm (Auckland-captain), Catherine Campbell (Canterbury-vice captain), Paula Flannery (Canterbury), Debbie Hockley (Canterbury), Katrina Keenan (Canterbury), Erin McDonald (Central Districts), Clare Nicholson (Auckland), Anna O'Leary (Wellington), Kate Pulford (Central Districts), Rachel Pullar (Otago), Kathryn Ramel (Auckland), Rebecca Rolls (Auckland), Haidee Tiffin (Canterbury), Emily Travers (Central Districts), Helen Watson (Auckland).

Left out of the side were former Netherlands player Nicola Payne, off-spinner Paula Gruber and medium pace bowler Munokoa Tunupopo.

Murdoch said it had been very difficult to pick the final 15 players and the job had provided some genuine selection headaches.

"It is no coincidence that New Zealand has finished second in the two World Cups played since the merger with New Zealand Cricket," she said.

The back-up and support of the parent body had been significant in the side's development.

Of the selection she said Campbell had been deservedly elevated to a leadership role in the side while Flannery was rewarded for consistent batting efforts this year.

The side's most experienced batsman, Debbie Hockley will be playing her fifth World Cup. She'll play in the three One Day Internationals against England as preparation. She will be only 152 runs away from scoring 4000 international runs.

Murdoch said a lot of emphasis has been put on fielding and it was a key selection point.

"We want to play attacking cricket and to score a lot of runs. We want to score at a rate we haven't scored at before," she said.

The selectors had also gone for multi-talented players capable of giving the batting depth and allowing for as many as seven or eight bowlers to be used in a game.

Team coach Mike Shrimpton said it had been the aim of the team's winter preparation to improve the quality of fielding overall as the "organisation of the inner circle is paramount to success."

"We have worked on the aerobic fitness of the players and have done a lot of speed and agility work."

The side will assemble on November 12 at Hanmer Springs and while no specific policy had been made about the three warm-up games Shrimpton hoped that all 15 players would get a game.

NZC chief executive Christopher Doig said it was significant the seventh Women's World Cup was being played in New Zealand.

"New Zealand has led the world in the administration of women's cricket.

"It still irks when you look at the World Cup and see only two names [Australia and England] on it.

"We are pleased we do have naming rights for the tournament with CricInfo.

The hits on the women's world cup site [wwc2000.cricinfo.com] have been quite phenomenal and the energy and information CricInfo will bring to the

World Cup will be quite extraordinary.

"It will be fascinating to see what they will be able to do for the broadcasting of cricket on the Internet.

"The stage is set for what we hope will be a remarkable event for women's cricket in New Zealand and for the world," he said.