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CHRISTCHURCH - New Zealand's stocks have been boosted by the news that Nathan Astle is unlikely to retire at the end of next year's World Cup, but will instead continue to play on indefinitely.
The 79-test veteran had earlier earmarked the World Cup as his likely swan-song from international cricket, but said yesterday he was now gaining so much fulfilment from the game that he intended to push on afterwards.
"I'm really enjoying it at the moment," Astle said ahead of the first test against Sri Lanka at Jade Stadium, starting tomorrow.
"I have to get to the World Cup first and then, maybe one more year or more - who knows? All I can say right now is that I'm enjoying my cricket and that I'm pretty much taking it as it comes."
Astle cut a disillusioned figure midway through last summer when he was axed from the team to play Sri Lanka, only to be recalled after a string of unavailabilities and injuries.
But since re-establishing himself in both the New Zealand one-day and test sides, the 35-year-old seems to have gained a second wind, and will head into tomorrow's showdown with a distinct sense of joie de vivre.
New Zealand's most senior batsman, Astle has scored more test centuries (11) than any other team-mate and in his most recent test at Christchurch - against England in the summer of 2001-02 - struck the world's fastest double-century.
He said most players knew when to call it a day because they could detect the telltale signs. "I think you know when it's time to walk away and I've got to say that I don't feel like that at the moment - and I don't think I will in the near future," he said.
"I'm enjoying it, and I've always said that, as long as I'm enjoying it, I'll carry on."
Astle conceded that at the depths of last season he wasn't sure how long he could last, such was his frustration at being left out of the one-day side. The malaise was short-lived.
"I don't think about retirement at all now," he said. "Since then things have changed quite a lot."
ASTLE'S TEST TONS
125 v West Indies Bridgetown, 1995/96
103 v West Indies St Johns 1995/96
102* v England Auckland, 1996/97
114 v Zimbabwe Auckland, 1997/98
101 v England Manchester, 1999
141 v Zimbabwe Wellington, 2000/01
156* v Australia Perth, 2001/02
222 v England Christchurch, 2001/02
103 v India Ahmedabad, 2003/04
114 v Sri Lanka Napier, 2004/05
128 v Zimbabwe Bulawayo, 2005/06
