The hosts will miss 12 first-choice players who will be away at the IPL, with Tom Latham to lead both white-ball squads
Bracewell and Cleaver were the top two run-getters in this season’s Super Smash, New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, scoring 478 and 369 runs respectively.
Bracewell is in line to become the fourth member of his family to play for New Zealand, after his uncles John and Brendon, and his cousin Doug, who is also part of both white-ball squads.
“Dane… has been the stand-out wicketkeeper-batsman of the Super Smash in recent years. We felt Dane’s consistent weight of runs and the role he can play at the top of the order gave him the slight edge.”
“Anytime you lose 12 front-liners it’s going to be a challenge, but we’re really excited by the players we’ve been able to call on,” Stead said. “With another T20 World Cup later this year and the ODI World Cup next year it’s a good time to be offering opportunities to a wider group of players.”
The tour begins with the one-off T20I in Napier on March 25, with the three-match ODI series – which will be a part of the ODI Super League – starting in Mount Maunganui on March 29. Tom Latham will lead both sides in the absence of regular captain Kane Williamson.
New Zealand ODI squad: Tom Latham (capt, wk), Doug Bracewell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner, Will Young
New Zealand T20I squad: Tom Latham (capt, wk), Doug Bracewell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young