Adam Parore: Fingers crossed for Bond's return

It is finger-crossing time for New Zealand Cricket today as Shane Bond starts his latest comeback in Christchurch.

Whether he can return to bowling with the pace he had is a moot point. Without wanting to put the mockers on him - and couldn't we do with him back at, or near, his best - I have my doubts.

It's worth remembering that Bond has played just 10 tests and 27 ODIs for New Zealand. But his numbers are outstanding and his is a case where the statistics do accurately show his worth to the side.

At his peak he was genuinely sharp. I'd put him in the bracket just below the real speedsters, Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee, and on a par with the likes of England's Steve Harmison and maybe Australia's Jason Gillespie. In other words, sharp enough to give the batsman a real tickle-up.

New Zealand have had no one to match him. He brought two important ingredients to the New Zealand attack: extra pace and the ability to reverse swing. Not only could he blow through the tail simply by bowling fast and straight, he could hurry up the top order.

Look at his numbers: 43 wickets in 10 tests, 51 in 27 ODIs.

Break that down further against Australia. In six ODIs against our closest rivals, Bond took 22 wickets, which is a remarkable strike rate.

Watching our new-ball bowlers in Australia before Christmas, at times they would induce a false initial movement from a batsman. But the batsman had time to adjust his stroke and get out of a sticky situation.

Against Bond, you didn't get that option. If your first movement was wrong you'd had it.

It was also a great feeling knowing you had some special ammunition to fire at the opposition, someone you could turn to at the end of a hot day with the second new ball and be confident he would do some damage.

His injury was serious, and not many quick bowlers can get back the old fire when they return. I wish him well.

I'm intrigued to hear there are moves to get some greater involvement for New Zealand in Australia's domestic cricket scene.

This is not altogether a bolt from the blue for me. I believe it's been on the table for about 10 years and has been seriously looked at for at least the past two to three years.

Australia would rightly need to see an advantage for Australian cricket, but there would be huge benefits for New Zealand if they could get a foot into the first-class or one-day programme over the Tasman.

Let's look at it from New Zealand's perspective.

I believe the best option would be getting a New Zealand A side into the Pura Cup, which is the old Sheffield Shield competition, even if only for one round of away matches. If that was offered, chief executive Martin Snedden would be doing cartwheels.

That team could comprise a mix of the best fringe test players, such as Michael Mason and Tim McIntosh, and some of the less experienced Black Caps, like Hamish Marshall and James Franklin.

It would provide the perfect stepping stone between New Zealand's State Championship programme and test cricket.

Australia is the ideal breeding ground for future test players. The competition is tough and the facilities and weather are invariably top rate.

Ideally, it would be complementary to, rather than in competition with, the New Zealand domestic season.

The big issue is the Australian Cricket Board's attitude.

I know ACB chief James Sutherland and Snedden are on the same wavelength on several cricket issues. Let's hope this is one of them.

* Adam Parore is a former New Zealand wicketkeeper