Cricket: No easy ride for Vincent – Strang

Former Black Cap Lou Vincent is available for Auckland’s Twenty20 campaign. Photo / Martin Sykes

Auckland coach Paul Strang is calling on Lou Vincent to prove his worth if he wants to play a cameo role for the domestic side this season.

Vincent is back in the country on holiday after plying his trade in England for the last year. He left New Zealand on less than good terms with New Zealand Cricket after signing a contract to play in the rebel ICL competition.

The former Black Cap has approached the Aces and declared his availability from now until the end of the Twenty20 series. However Strang said he will need to earn his spot in the team and that will not be easy.

"We've got a good bunch of guys and we're starting to move in the right direction so given that we haven't seen him for a while he's obviously got to prove where he's at to us," Strang said.

The Aces coach added sometimes players go overseas and when they come back their game has improved but there are others who fall off the pace. He said after watching Vincent at a couple of practice sessions he appears to be the player of old, but only time will tell.

Although Vincent was thought to be free for only next month's Twenty20 Cup, Strang says he could potentially be picked in the side's two one-dayers before New Year. The first is tomorrow against Wellington at Colin Maiden Park.

- NEWSTALK ZB