Jesse Ryder's withdrawal from the New Zealand A tour to the United Arab Emirates has significantly reduced his World Cup prospects.
The gifted but erratic lefthander pulled the pin on what amounted to a last chance to press his Cup claims yesterday, citing personal reasons - understood to be relationship issues - after missing a flight from Dunedin to Christchurch for a domestic T20 game at the weekend.
New Zealand Cricket's general manager national selection Bruce Edgar would not rub Ryder's name out of calculations altogether yesterday, but admitted the player's decision had made it more difficult for the national selectors - Edgar and national coach Mike Hesson - to pick the troubled batsman.
"The waters have been muddied somewhat," Edgar said of Ryder's possible Cup selection. "We respect his decision, but to be honest from a selection perspective the whole point of the A tour was to get more information about Jessie in the team environment and unfortunately we're not going to see the entire picture."
Ryder's ability to handle himself off the field, after a career blighted by several drink-related indiscretions in the past few years, is an element in whether the selectors will pick him for the World Cup.
