Batsman Ross Taylor and former Australia wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi have been named in a New Zealand XI squad to face England in two Twenty20 matches next month.

The fixtures will afford the tourists valuable match practice ahead of three T20Is, three ODIs and three Tests, and allow Taylor the chance to push for a recall and Ronchi the opportunity to impress the national selectors.

Taylor withdrew from the tour of South Africa earlier this year, after he was dropped as captain amid a fallout with new coach Mike Hesson. Ronchi, who played seven internationals for Australia in 2008 and 2009, has since qualified for New Zealand.

"Obviously it's great to have Ross back in the mix and really we're excited about seeing him play again. He is a proven world-class batsman and this will provide him with a great chance to get some cricket under his belt following his break," said national selection manager Kim Littlejohn.

"We're confident all of the players in the squad will relish the chance to play against England, with the matches a great opportunity for them to push for higher honours.

"We're pleased to have Luke available as well and we look forward to watching him continue to make an impact. It's a very strong New Zealand XI and we expect them to be competitive opponents.

Both warm-up matches will be played in Whangarei on 4 and 6 February. The series proper gets underway with the first T20I in Auckland three days later.