Otago fast bowler James McMillan will be absent during a crucial period of the Volts' twenty/20 campaign.
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The 33-year-old will be in Rarotonga attending a friend's wedding and will miss the must-win game against Canterbury at the University Oval tomorrow and the match against Auckland on Sunday at the same venue.
McMillan was granted a release to attend the function at the beginning of the season. He has been replaced by two batsmen, with Otago coach Vaughn Johnson naming a squad of 13.
Exciting left-hand opening batsman Hamish Rutherford and middle order batsman Darren Broom will vie for a spot in the starting XI.
Rutherford was in good touch during the recent National Provincial A tournament. He was the second-leading run-scorer with 329 runs at an average of 41.12. The highlight was an impressive 120 from 96 deliveries. Broom was also productive with 238 runs at 39.66.
Rutherford, the son of former New Zealand and Otago batsman Ken Rutherford, burst on to the twenty/20 domestic scene with an impressive debut season for Otago in the summer of 2008-09.
He scored 220 runs at 31.32 and played a crucial role in helping the Volts claim the title. He was not able to recapture that form in subsequent seasons and fell out of favour with the selectors.
Broom has played seven twenty/20 games for Otago but has batted down the order and had little chance to impress. He has had more opportunity in the four-day game with 504 runs at 29.64, including two centuries.
Whether either plays is unclear. Left-arm seamer Craig Smith has been 12th man for the last four games and would be the logical replacement for McMillan in the starting XI. But Johnson has lamented his side's propensity to lose wickets in clumps and he may opt for an extra batsman.
Fringe spinner Mark Craig sustained an injury during the National Provincial A tournament and will be sidelined for the next two or three weeks.
"Obviously, someone will miss out on the day but I don't know who that is yet," Johnson said.
"It will depend on the pitch."
Tomorrow's forecast is for some rain with northwest winds.
Otago has already had two of its games abandoned and can ill-afford a similar outcome.
To reach the January 22 final, Otago will likely need to win all three of its remaining games and hope that Canterbury loses at least two of its three remaining games.
Otago twenty/20
Team to play Canterbury:
Brendon McCullum (captain), Aaron Redmond, Neil Broom, Craig Cumming, Nathan McCullum, Jimmy Neesham, Derek de Boorder, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Neil Wagner, Nick Beard, Craig Smith, Hamish Rutherford, Darren Broom.
