Basketball: Cameron desperate to front up

By DAVID LEGGAT

Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron is having a dollar each way on the likelihood of lining up against Australia in the opening test in Hamilton on Friday night.

He is battling to get over a torn right calf muscle, which has troubled him on and off for the last two years.

His latest brush with the injury came in the Waikato Titans' final NBL game on June 13.

He aggravated it again at the Tall Blacks camp last week and is touch and go for the three-game Boomers series.

On one hand, Cameron, by his own admission, is desperate to be on court in the Tall Blacks' first serious workout before the Olympics.

However, Athens is the prime objective and it might mean the wiser course of action is for him to sit the Australian series out.

He is working out tentatively during training but conceded yesterday "obviously there is a lot of doubt".

"I've just got to take it step by step. The more you tear them [muscles] the weaker they become, and they don't heal like they used to."

Still, Cameron, the kingpin of Tab Baldwin's squad and hero of the Tall Blacks' world championship campaign of 2002, is reluctant to spend the series on the sideline.

"If I'm ready I will play this weekend. I desperately want to play. It's a very good first hit up for our team because Australia are a quality side."

The Boomers prepared for the series with a five-game European trip, which included two wins over Croatia, one over France and two losses to Italy. They arrive in New Zealand tomorrow.

After Hamilton, the series continues in Christchurch on Saturday and ends in Invercargill on Sunday.

At the end of the tour, the Tall Blacks squad of 15 will be reduced to 12 for the Olympics. With American-based Sean Marks and Kirk Penney seemingly sure of selection, that leaves 10 spots open.

And that adds spice to the series for the hosts, irrespective of who the opponents are.