WELLINGTON:  New Zealand cricketers Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor can sit out next month’s tour of Sri Lanka so that they will prepare for the coming home test series against the West Indies

The pair will come back home after the present tour of Bangladesh with 23-year-old Kane Williamson replacing McCullum as captain in Sri Lanka where New Zealand can play 3 ODIs and 2 Twenty20s.

Edgar said that “Ross and Brendon would like red ball preparation to be at their best for the summer,”.

“Both players are very important to our success and fine tuning their red ball skills before the West Indies series beginning in early December is paramount.”

As Taylor and McCullum play all 3 formats of the sport, Edgar said it was necessary to manage their playing loads as New Zealand face thirty seven home days of cricket against the West Indies so India.

McCullum and Taylor are expected to play domestic cricket in New Zealand before the primary test against the West Indies starting in Dunedin on December three.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi and pace bowler Ian butler can be a part of the New Zealand side in Sr Lanka.

New Zealand squad for Sri Lanka: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Ian Butler, Anton Devcich,Tom Latham,  Grant Elliott, Mitchell McClenaghan, Kyle Mills, Nathan McCullum,  Adam Milne, Colin munro, James Neesham, Hamish Rutherford,Luke Ronchi.

November 10, first ODI, Hambantota November twelve, second ODI, Hambantota November sixteen, third ODI, Dambulla November nineteen, 1st Twenty20, Kandy November twenty one, second Twenty20, Kandy.