Taylor, Milne to Miss Proteas ODIs

Wellington: New Zealand's former skipper Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and paceman Adam Milne will miss the upcoming one-day international series against South Africa because of injury, New Zealand Cricket said on Friday.

Top order batsman Taylor, a veteran of 137 ODIs, has a calf problem, while Milne is struggling with an elbow injury and both were ruled out of a warm-up match for the series against Ireland in Hamilton on Saturday.

Fast-medium swing bowler Tim Southee is battling a shoulder injury but should be fit to face the Proteas in the first of three one-day matches in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday.

Batsman Kane Williamson, who has a wrist problem, will miss the Ireland match and the first of the South Africa encounters but should be available for the final two matches of the series in Mount Maunganui next Friday and Hamilton on Oct. 27.

New Zealand are ranked seventh in the world rankings and will be looking to the series against the second-ranked South Africans to help with their preparations for the World Cup, which they are co-hosting with Australia early next year.

The squad for Tuesday's opening match in the ANZ ODI series will be named on Sunday.

New Zealand XI squad v Ireland

• Corey Anderson - Northern Knights
• Trent Boult - Northern Knights
• Dean Brownlie - Northern Knights
• Martin Guptill - Auckland Aces
• Matt Henry - Canterbury
• Tom Latham - Canterbury
• Mitchell McClenaghan - Auckland Aces
• Nathan McCullum  - Otago Volts
• Kyle Mills - Auckland Aces
• Jimmy Neesham - Otago Volts
• Luke Ronchi - Wellington Firebirds
• Daniel Vettori - Northern Knights
• BJ Watling - Northern Knights (wk)