Cricket: Australians may not be available for International XI

New Zealand Cricket and the Players' Association yesterday spent another day waiting to line their ducks in a row before announcing a three-match one-day series between the Black Caps and an International XI.

While Players' Association manager Heath Mills remained confident the series would happen - slated for the last week in January - time is now of the essence. It was originally hoped an announcement would be made yesterday, but Mills was unable to confirm anything as he was waiting for "two boards to sign-off on their players".

Mills was unwilling to say which countries were holding up the process, but a report yesterday suggested Cricket Australia might be reluctant to release players if it clashed with their domestic competitions.

Cricket Australia spokesperson Peter Young said yesterday that it will not know whether Australian players would be available until later this week.

"We are sympathetic to the idea," Young said.

"But it is complicated. We have the VB series and Australia A playing, as well as the Pura Cup and ING Cup competitions."

The VB series, which involves the West Indies, Pakistan and Australia, begins with a day-nighter between the home team and the West Indies in Melbourne on Friday.

"Our initial response was we would like to help and have a look at it, but with the tsunami game on our hands it is going to take some time," Young said.

A major stumbling block could be the state associations with two ING Cup matches (Australia's one-day competition) on January 23 before a full round of the Pura Cup starting January 27.

Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Nathan Bracken, Michael Bevan, Andy Bichel and Greg Blewett are understood to have been approached, the most from any country.

A sensible compromise would seem to be Cricket Australia releasing some players for the first two matches and then another batch for the third, but that has yet to be confirmed.

If Cricket Australia doesn't play ball it won't be the first time they have put the kibosh on a Kiwi proposal.

It was initially mooted that Monday's tsunami benefit match be played in Wellington, but Cricket Australia's James Sutherland and ICC boss Malcolm Speed, an Australian, insisted the game be played in their home town.

"Australia, to my knowledge, haven't given a final sign-off, but we're not anticipating an issue there now," Mills said. "But we haven't got things in writing so you don't make announcements until you get things in writing.

"We're pretty confident Australia will release the players, so we're just waiting on one other country to give the go-ahead to use their players and we will be away."

Other players linked with the series, which will be run as a commercial venture although it will contain a charity element, have been Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas (all Sri Lanka), Lance Klusener (South Africa) and Darren Gough (England).

But perhaps the most intriguing prospect is whether on-the-outer Zimbabwean cricketers, like Heath Streak and Sean Irvine, have been invited.

It's almost certain the three matches will go to Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

A series would mean the Black Caps will be absent for at least one round of both the State Championship and Shield.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY