The Black Caps play Pakistan in the first test in Dunedin next week and, with Jesse Ryder injured and Jacob Oram retired from test cricket, there are at least two spots open.
The Otago skipper will audition for one of those places when the New Zealand Invitation XI plays Pakistan in a three-day warm-up match beginning in Queenstown today.
Cumming was in majestic form last summer, averaging 65.33 in the four-day competition, and has picked up where he left off with innings of 42 and 126 in a Plunket Shield match for Otago last week.
It is unlikely his selection will hang on one innings against the tourists but he would not want to put that theory to the test. A good knock would surely see him add to his 11 caps.
That would require some shuffling with Cumming likely to partner incumbent opener Tim McIntosh, with Martin Guptill dropping down one and Daniel Flynn shifting from No 3 to No 5.
It is, perhaps, the path of least resistance as it is doubtful the selectors will go down the Mathew Sinclair road, after leaving him out of the Invitation XI. Like Cumming, Sinclair has been in and out of the national side and, despite a fantastic first-class record, has not been able to cement a spot in the Black Caps.
Wellington all-rounders James Franklin and Grant Elliott will compete for Oram's place. They are different types of players. Elliott, who will captain the Invitation XI, is very much a batting all-rounder whereas the left-arm Franklin would offer the seam attack variation.
Either way, Daniel Vettori will fill much of the void in Oram's absence.
The Black Caps captain has been cleared to play in the series. He suffered mild concussion after being struck on the helmet while batting in the one-day series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, and did not play in the final two twenty/20 fixtures as a precautionary measure.
The left-arm spinner has been shouldering more responsibility with the bat and it would not be a surprise if he batted in the all-rounder's spot.
The University Oval has traditionally been a seamer-friendly venue. That will almost certainly ruin Jeetan Patel's selection prospects while opening the door for test aspirants Daryl Tuffey, Tim Southee and Brent Arnel.
Arnel took career-best figures of six for 18 against Otago at the University Oval last week but is probably behind Tuffey and Southee in the pecking order.
Strike bowler Kyle Mills is expected to undergo surgery in the next two weeks for a torn rotator cuff on his left shoulder and will also have surgery for a chronic knee injury. He will be out of action for a minimum of four months but hopes to be fit for the ICC World Twenty/20 tournament in April 2010.
On the positive side of the ledger, if fast bowler Shane Bond gets through Canterbury's four-day match with Otago in Rangiora, which started yesterday, he should make a welcome return to the test arena.
The 34-year-old was ruled ineligible after signing with the rebel Indian Cricket League and has not played a test since November 2007.
For the tourists, it is a valuable opportunity to get used to New Zealand conditions. Pakistan stand-in captain Mohammad Yousuf has highlighted bowler-friendly pitches as one of the biggest obstacles.
Cool weather, Vettori's bowling and the sudden withdrawal of captain Younis Khan will also conspire against the visitors.
Fast bowler Mohammad Asif will be hoping to make a good start to the tour. He has not played test cricket in more than two years following several drug-related incidents. He was suspended for a year after testing positive to the banned substance nandrolone and was detained at Dubai airport in June last year for allegedly possessing a small amount of opium. No criminal charges were laid.
Otago fans will be keen to see how Yasir Arafat performs. The all-rounder has signed to play for the Volts in the one-day and twenty/20 tournaments this summer replacing hard-hitting England international Dimitri Mascarenhas.
• Squads to play in Queenstown
New Zealand Invitation XI: Grant Elliott (c), Craig Cumming, Tim McIntosh, BJ Watling, Daniel Flynn, James Franklin, Reece Young (wk), Daryl Tuffey, Tarun Nethula, Tim Southee, Iain O'Brien, Brent Arnel.
Pakistan: Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Yousuf (c), Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Abdur Rauf, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmad.
