Four new faces in NZ Women's squad

Four new faces were included in the New Zealand Women's squad of 14 for the upcoming home series against West Indies, comprising three ODIs and five T20s. Holly Huddleston, Sam Curtis, Hayley Jensen and Felicity Leydon-Davis could make their debuts in the series, while Sara McGlashan and Katey Martin are back in the side after missing the tour of West Indies last October.

Interim coach Warren Lees said the new players had been picked on current form and deserved this opportunity.

"There's a lot of talent coming through in the women's domestic competitions and the performances of some of the younger players have really caught our attention," Lees said. "We've rewarded that good form with their selection and look forward to seeing them get to test their skills against a strong West Indies side."

McGlashan returns to the squad after an impressive domestic season in which she scored four fifties and a hundred in her last eight T20 and one-day matches for Auckland which helped them win the domestic T20 tournament and finish runners-up in the one-day tournament.

"Sara has gone away and taken her game to another level and we've been really pleased to see that come through in her performances for Auckland - she's been dominant," Lees said.

Some other experienced players, however, were left out of the squad: Amy Satterthwaite, Sian Ruck, Rachel Candy, Lea Tahuhu and Erin Bermingham. Lees expressed that even though dropping some of them was not easy, their performances would be monitored for the future.

"Leaving players out like Sian and Amy is never easy, but we'll continue to monitor their progress closely," Lees said. "I think that Sara and Katey are great examples of how players can work their way back into the side and we expect to see them make every effort to do so.

The first ODI is on February 22 in Lincoln.

New Zealand Women's squad: Suzie Bates (capt), Sophie Devine (vice-capt), Nicola Browne, Sam Curtis, Maddy Green, Holly Huddleston, Hayley Jensen, Felicity Leydon-Davis, Sara McGlashan, Frances Mackay, Katey Martin, Morna Nielson, Katie Perkins, Rachel Priest.