The Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken denies the inclusion of the unavailable Cathrine Latu in the New Zealand netball squad is a sign of desperation ahead of the July world champs.
Aitken's named a 12-strong squad for the tournament in Singapore, with shooter Latu and Paula Griffin the only two players who weren't part of the Silver Ferns gold medal winning effort at last year's Commonwealth Games.
Dropped from the Commonwealth Games squad are Daneka Wipi'iti and Grace Rasmussen.
Latu's been included despite international netball rules declaring her ineligible to play for the Silver Ferns at the world champs, as she played for Samoa at the previous tournament.
But Aitken's confident Netball New Zealand will succeed in its bid to have the ruling overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Netball New Zealand is awaiting for a hearing date, but Latu can play for the Silver Ferns in the upcoming two-Test series against Australia.
