Cricket: Right place and time for Redmond return

Bradley-John Watling might have stolen the headlines in the short-formats team selected to play Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates next month but the squad was just as notable for its confirmation of the unlikely re-invention of Aaron Redmond.

Discarded from the test team after a the two-test tour of Australia last November, Redmond's international aspirations seemed in tatters as his grafting style was deemed unsuited to one-day and Twenty20 requirements.

As fate would have it, Redmond's reinvention was due in part to the real estate axiom of location, location, location.

Playing league cricket in England this winter, Redmond was perfectly located to be drafted into the New Zealand squad at the Twenty20 world champs when Jesse Ryder was struck down by an infection.

He responded with 63 in 30 balls against Ireland, putting his more illustrious opening partner Brendon McCullum in the shade, 15 off 14 against Pakistan and a handy 23 off 13 in the ill-fated semifinal against Sri Lanka.

Overnight, the selectors' eyes were opened to the possibilities offered off the now blazing blade of Redmond. He earned another Ryder-related call-up to the recent Champions Trophy and although his contributions of 26 and 31 were useful rather than head-turning, it was enough to convince the new selection panel, including skipper Daniel Vettori, that he was worth continuing with.

This last point is interesting. While it might be a stretch to say that Redmond's original dumping from the test team was what inspired Vettori to insist he had a voice at the selection table, it certainly would not have hurt his case.

There was widespread disbelief among senior players that Redmond could be dropped on the basis of one poor shot against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, especially after he had blazed 83 in the first innings. Not only was Redmond a popular team-mate but it was felt he, like many before him, had not been given sufficient time in the side to prove his worth and was dropped just when he was starting to find his feet.

"Aaron made a strong case for his inclusion with confident performances at the world Twenty20 and Champions Trophy," said selector/ skipper/ allrounder Vettori.

For Redmond to have forced his way back in the forms of the game he was not rated in is deeply ironic - not that he would mind too much.