Saturday 22 June 2013 11:01, UK
Kevin Pietersen believes Friday's competitive comeback for Surrey represents the first real test of his fitness ahead of the Ashes.
Speaking about the side, national selector Geoff Miller, said: "We have selected a squad with plenty of T20 experience as well as young players new to the international game. "With an intense period of cricket coming up we are conscious that we need to manage the workloads of our players throughout the summer. "This NatWest series gives an opportunity for players who have performed well in domestic cricket and on the England Performance Programme and with the Lions to step up and test themselves in an international environment. "New Zealand are a talented limited overs side and with a World T20 competition less than a year away this series gives us a chance to look at a number of different options." Ben Stokes has also been included in the squad, four months after being sent home from the Lions tour for disciplinary reasons.
