Wicketkeeper Max Chu has been sacrificed so the Volts can improve their balance.
Left-armer Andrew Hazeldine has been named in the 12 and is poised to make his debut for Otago.
The former Canterbury seamer has actually had quite a bit of success with the bat at the top of the University-Grange batting line-up.
But he has been brought into the side to add some zip with the ball. The 28-year-old has 35 first-class wickets and 21 list A wickets, but he has made only one T20 appearance and that was in December 2017.
He got clobbered for 20 runs from two overs. Jesse Ryder did most of the damage. Hazeldine opened the bowling with Ben Stokes that day, and the English all-rounder had a tough time as well.
Volts coach Dion Ebrahim said the decision to drop Chu was a tactical one.
"There are two reasons," he said.
"We are trying to get the balance right by having our five best bowlers in the team as well as having the capability of our No6 and No7 to strike at a high strike rate — at 140-plus, ideally."
Ebrahim told the Otago Daily Times on Wednesday either Dale Phillips or Llew Johnson would take the gloves in place of Chu.
Phillips seems the more likely candidate.
Ebrahim said Chu was naturally disappointed to miss out, but he understood the reasoning.
"He’s got behind the players that we have selected and is helping out with the keepers and in the background lifting everyone’s confidence.
"He’s a great team man and he knows this is not a defining moment in his career.
"It is just a little hurdle he is very eager to overcome."
Ebrahim said Hazeldine would "provide a point of difference" as a left-arm quick.
"He does have good ball speed, which is different to a number of our other bowlers ... and he has a capability with the bat.
"We feel he can strike the ball at a high tempo and a high strike rate and access various areas of the ground with his innovation."
Ebrahim said the team was comfortable with playing on Christmas Eve.
"The guys are fully aware of the challenges that presents from a family point of view. We spoke about being in a privileged position to be able to play professional sport and with that comes all the sacrifices of time leading into the holiday period.
"It is a summer sport, so Christmas is often compromised along with weddings and birthdays and so on."
The Super Smash gets under way today, with the Northern Districts men’s and women’s teams hosting the Canterbury sides at Bay Oval.
Super Smash
Basin Reserve, tomorrow
Otago: Hamish Rutherford (captain), Josh Finnie, Dean Foxcroft, Dale Phillips, Llew Johnson, Michael Rippon, Andrew Hazeldine, Ben Lockrose, Jacob Duffy, Michael Rae, Matt Bacon, Jake Gibson.
