KEY POINTS:
Saddled with a test bowling average of 98.50, pace bowler Iain O'Brien could view the upcoming cricket series with Sri Lanka from a variety of angles.
Optimistically, he could be excused for desperately wanting to reduce that unflattering Australian-made statistic as quickly as humanly possible.
Conversely, he could be dreading the moment he recognises the dashing Sanath Jayasuriya from the top of his mark.
The Wellingtonian, whose debut unfortunately dovetailed with the rampant world champions' last trip across the ditch in March last year, is no guarantee of playing his third test at Jade Stadium from Thursday with one member of the Black Caps 13-man squad to be returned to State Championship duty tomorrow.
Yet on the face of it, O'Brien can stake a case as compelling as the other seam bowling contenders -- save automatic choice Shane Bond -- for a heavy duty workload on what is expected to be a run-laden drop-in wicket.
Black Caps coach John Bracewell selected his support acts for Bond with domestic form in mind. With the current crop missing the injured Kyle Mills, O'Brien and Central Districts' similarly green Michael Mason boast the best statistics.
O'Brien has taken nine wickets at 26.22 in two provincial outings on flat wickets, and clearly impressed captain Stephen Fleming by bagging five for 57 against Auckland last week while the Black Caps skipper stood at first slip.
He has already equalled last season's haul -- claimed at a miserly 14.22 apiece -- and has impressed with his desire to keep hitting the deck with or without the breeze at his back.
Fellow right armer Mason has been even more prolific for the Stags so far -- 11 scalps at 15.54 on unresponsive pitches -- auguring well for him getting a chance to break his test duck after recording 0-105 in his solitary test against South Africa at the Basin Reserve in 2003-04.
The duo face having to displace incumbents James Franklin and Chris Martin which could be easier said than done.
Franklin was the Black Caps leading wicket-taker (15) on their unsuccessful three-test tour to South Africa in April and scored his maiden test century at Cape Town, while Martin has 31 caps under his belt and 99 wickets to show for it.
Regardless of whether he gets the nod, O'Brien was simply grateful to be in a position to be considered.
Diagnosed with a career-threatening stress fracture in his lower back after seizing up after playing a one-dayer against Otago in January, O'Brien feared his curse had struck.
"For a wee while there I thought that could be the end of it," he said.
O'Brien has had back problems since he was 17. He blamed the troublesome L4 vertebrae on a birth defect, and has made minor cosmetic changes to his run-up and delivery to compensate.
Luckily, he did not require surgery, instead a four-month rest and rehabilitation before putting his back against the wall by heading to England to play club cricket for Glapwell Colliery in Derbyshire.
"I didn't have any problems over there, it hasn't affected me while I've been back," he said while admitting some reservations.
"Everyday I still wake up thinking is it going to be a good day or a bad day? At the moment I haven't had too many bad days."
O'Brien has fingers crossed he'll survive the cull though he admitted he was surprised to be at training yesterday.
"It's fair to say I wasn't expecting it. I've been bowling all right so I knew I was a chance though I thought there were a couple of bowlers in front of me."
Now he's cleared that obstacle, O'Brien would relish the opportunity to add to two decent, though expensive victims -- Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn.
"I'm definitely keen to bring down that test average. No one wants two wickets at 96 or something."
- NZPA
