KEY POINTS:
Andre Adams hasn't been without some top-level assistance in his bid to break back into the New Zealand one-day side.
The Auckland utility player's one-day future was thrown into disarray last summer after he suffered back-to-back finger injuries and missed the entire home international programme against Sri Lanka
and the West Indies.
But his never-say-die attitude was rewarded last week when he was named in the New Zealand Twenty20 side for today's game against Sri Lanka at Eden Park, and for the first two one-day internationals - at Napier and Queenstown.
Adams said last winter's stint with English county side Essex not only helped prove his mettle at the bowling crease, but also opened the door for some valuable batting tuition from former internationals Graham Gooch and Andy Flower.
"Batting around guys like that was very helpful," he said yesterday.
"It was great to be able to learn from those guys, not only in a coaching sense but out in the middle as well."
Gooch scored 20 centuries for England in a 118-test career and the left-handed Flower retired as Zimbabwe's most successful batsman with a test average of 51.54.
"Goochie talked about keeping things simple with my batting and not getting too bogged down in technique. He reckoned as long as it was reasonably sound, you shouldn't worry too much.
"Andy was a great help as well; more in terms of the mental side than anything else. When it came to learning about playing spin, finding gaps in the field, and appreciating match situations, he was exceptional."
Adams was inconsolable after last summer's injury setbacks, particularly as he also suffered illness and back problems in previous seasons, to the extent that his ODI record now reads: played 39, missed 72.
But he said yesterday that if he had the choice he'd much rather have missed last season's programme than this summer's high-octane schedule.
After today's Twenty20 outing, New Zealand will play five ODIs against Sri Lanka, beginning on Thursday at Napier; at least eight and possibly 11 in the Commonwealth Bank Tri-series, and the three Chappell-Hadlees against Australia.
They then set off for the Caribbean and the much-awaited 2007 World Cup.
"I felt like I was playing pretty well last year, which made the injury situation pretty hard to take," said Adams.
"But I haven't lost the confidence from that and I'm still using every opportunity I receive as a build-up for the World Cup.
"My aim is to not only be there, but to seize the moment and churn out the required performances. So yeah, if I had to pick a season to miss - I'd rather it be last summer than this summer."
The 31-year-old bowling all-rounder first sprang to prominence with the ball in 2002 when he began stopping the clock in the early 140 km/h region, an effort which soon began taking a toll on his back.
He's now reassessed his priorities, sacrificing his pursuit of speed for a more conservative, run-saving approach, something he says is more appropriate for the shorter game, not to mention his physical well-being.
"It would be stupid for me to keep trying to bowl as fast as I can," he said. "If I did that, I'd probably break down again. When you're young you like to see the speedo increasing but once you've been around the block a couple of times you prefer to see the maidens column ticking over. That's what it's about for me now."
Boxing day bash
New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Twenty20, Eden Park, 2pm, live Sky Sport 1.
New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (c), Andre Adams, Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, James Franklin, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, James Marshall, Brendon McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Jeetan Patel, Ross Taylor.
One-day squads
New Zealand (first two games): Daniel Vettori (c), Adams, Astle, Fulton, Gillespie, Hamish Marshall, James Marshall, Michael Mason, McCullum, Patel, Taylor.
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (c), Marvan Atapattu, Malinga Bandara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ruchira Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Upal Tharanga, Chaminda Vaas.
