
Essex all-rounder Graham Napier will represent the Central Districts team in New Zealand this winter, where he will play in the 50-over and 20-over domestic competitions.
Napier represented Wellington last season but has now switched to the Central Stags.
“I’m delighted to have been given this opportunity by Central Districts and am looking forward to playing under [coach] Dermot Reeve," Napier told his website (www.grahamnapier.com).
"There is also the exciting prospect of playing alongside [New Zealand internationals] Jacob Oram and Ross Taylor – both of whom are prominent international players in all forms of the game – who will be available for the Twenty20 matches.”
He hopes that a good spell abroad could further his chances of appearing for England. The hard-hitting player was named in their ICC World Twenty20 squad earlier in the year but did not make an appearance.
He added: “I’m not in the frame right now but am determined to keep going out to play and maintain a good level of performance with the intention of making it to the highest level at some point. It’s a great bonus for me to be wanted by an overseas team during the winter because it gives a feeling of being wanted and good enough to perform at that level.”
© Cricket World 2009
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