New Zealand include uncapped Ajaz Patel for Pakistan Tests

The incomplete squads for the one-day internationals and Twenty20 Internationals were also announced on Wednesday, 25 July.

Patel, 29, won the Domestic Player of the Year award after helping Central Stags to the Plunket Shield title in 2017-18. He has topped the Plunket Shield's wicket-takers' chart for the past three seasons and picked up 48 wickets at 21.52 last season.

Apart from Patel, the 15-man Test squad also includes two other spin options in Todd Astle and Ish Sodhi.

“Ajaz has deserved his inclusion on the sheer weight of his domestic first-class form over the past couple of summers,” said Gavin Larsen, New Zealand's National Selector.

“With Mitch Santner not fully recovered yet from his knee surgery, it’s nice to have both wrist (Astle and Sodhi) and finger (Patel) spin options, given the likely conditions in the UAE.”

BJ Watling has been picked as the first-choice wicket-keeper, while Tom Blundell is the back-up gloveman. Watling, who last played an ODI in December 2016, is also in the squad for the three ODIs, with two names from the New Zealand A side to be added to make it a complete 15-man squad.

New Zealand's Under-19 stars, Kyle Jamieson, Blair Tickner and Rachin Ravindra, who are in the New Zealand A side, will look to put up impressive performances to grab the last two ODI vacancies.

Trent Boult was not included in the T20I list. Two names will be later added to that squad too, following New Zealand A's tour of the United Arab Emirates to play Pakistan, expected to start from mid-October.

Prior to the UAE tour, India A will be touring New Zealand and that will give the selectors more clarity on selection.

“This is a great opportunity for us to expose our emerging players to foreign conditions and help develop and expand their games,” said Larsen. “Given India A will also be visiting New Zealand over the summer, there is a lot to play for.”

New Zealand will be playing three Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is against Pakistan in the UAE.

Test squad: Kane Williamson (c), BJ Watling, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Jeet Raval, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, Todd Astle

**ODI squad:**Kane Williamson (c), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling(wk), Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, (Two more to be added from NZ A/BC T20 Squads)

**T20I squad:**Kane Williamson (c), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, (Two more names to be added from NZ A squad)

NZ A squad: Corey Anderson, Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Tom Bruce, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Jeet Raval, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Blair Tickner, Logan van Beek, George Worker, Will Young, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling