Veteran Daniel Vettori is set to play after the Black Caps squad is plagued by fitness concerns.
New Zealand have to rethink their starting XI as BJ Watling and Bruce Martin are both ruled out of the second and final Test with England at Headingley on Friday.
Watling injured his knee during New Zealand’s 170-run first Test defeat at Lord’s last week.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who deputised behind the stumps at Lord’s, will keep at Headingley with Martin Guptill coming into the team to bat at number six, a Black Caps statement issued Wednesday said.
Meanwhile former captain Daniel Vettori, who only joined the squad this week, could play at Headingley after fellow left-arm spinner Martin was ruled out of the rest of the tour with a calf injury suffered at Lord’s.
Vettori, named in New Zealand’s squad for their one-day internationals against England and next month’s Champions Trophy, has been out of Test action for almost a year because of a hamstring injury.
Wednesday’s statement said Vettori will be “assessed after tomorrow’s (Thursday’s) training as to whether he can be considered for the match”.
With 360 victims to his name, Vettori is New Zealand’s second highest Test wicket-taker.
His last Test was a nine-wicket defeat by West Indies in Antigua in July 2012 and his only international action since then was at the World Twenty20 in October.
The only other bowling option open to New Zealand is seamer Doug Bracewell, who was left out of the first Test.
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