Struggling opening batsman Martin Guptill is among five players to be dropped from the New Zealand cricket team for the two-test home series against Pakistan beginning at Christchurch next week.
Guptill was among the batsmen who under-performed on the recent tour to India, where it was white-washed in a three-test series. He had scores of 21, 0, 13, 24, 72 and 29 – a total of 159 runs at an average of 26 – in tests that were won by India by 197, 178 and 321 runs.
Spinners Ish Sodhi and Jeetan Patel, fast bowler Doug Bracewell and wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi were also omitted from the 13-man squad named on Thursday.
