No player has stamped himself an automatic choice for either position, leaving the selectors, Ross Dykes (convener), Steve Rixon, and Rick Pickard, to ponder the options.
Roger Twose, on the back of his first innings success after being recalled to the third test team, is well in contention for the opener's role. Twose is a vastly experienced one-day player who can improvise well and adapt to the limited-over game's demands.
Another possibility is the swift-scoring Craig Spearman, who has been given a number of chances but has been unable to consolidate his place, as an average of 17 from 31 games indicates.
Canterbury's Llorne Howell is not being considered with his fitness at international level still under question after off-season shoulder surgery.
With Nathan Astle injured the selectors are unlikely to experiment with the likes of Mark Bailey (Northern Districts), who they appear interested in, but who has struggled to score consistently.
However, two changes seem certain from the test team for the first one-dayer of the series, at Taupo on Saturday.
One-day specialist Chris Harris will return, probably with Gavin Larsen, who missed much of last season with a stress fracture of a foot.
They are likely to take the places of Matthew Bell and Paul Wiseman.
Dykes said the selectors wanted to have several strike bowling options, players capable of taking wickets in the early overs.
He noted that Geoff Allott had also performed usefully bowling late in one-day international tournaments this season, and he also played in the exhibition one-dayer gainst India in Dunedin.
Other contenders in the attacking swing or seam bowler category are Shayne O'Connor, Andrew Penn, and Chris Drum.