Ponders Black Caps options

depending on how badly they want to pick left-armer Ajaz Patel for a test debut.

With Santner having one spin berth nailed down in the World Cup squad, it’s a duel between the two legspinners for the other slow bowling spot in the 15.

Sodhi, at 25 seven years younger, is preferred in Twenty20 internationals where he was ranked the world’s top bowler, while Astle is in front in the test pecking order helped by his superior batting.

Sodhi is the more brilliant, capable of devastating wickettaking deliveries with the wrong ‘un, but has worked on eliminating the loose ones, and improving his batting and fielding.

‘‘Comparing from year to year and I’ve been really impressed with Ish and the way he’s got clarity around things he needs to work on and he goes about working on that as well,’’ Stead said.

Sodhi is the solitary frontline spinner in the T20 squad of 13 for next Thursday’s (5am NZT) threematch series opener against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

While that looks skinny in a land where spinners prosper, Stead wants captain Kane Williamson to more regularly introduce his offspin. Williamson, who remodelled his action after it was deemed illegal in 2014, is still effective but appeared reluctant to bowl too much last summer.

‘‘Even though they’re both legspinners they’re a bit different.’’

Gary Stead on Todd Astle and Ish Sodhi