Cricket: Cairns at mercy of chronic knee injury

By RICHARD BOOCK

Injury is again likely to shatter Chris Cairns' hopes of playing a cricket test against South Africa.

Whatever happens in the third one-day international at Centurian overnight, the star New Zealand all-rounder seems almost certain to be sidelined within the week by a chronic injury to his right knee.

He is also understood to be experiencing the start of compensatory problems in his less-troublesome left knee.

Concern over his condition is thought to be the main reason the New Zealand selectors have delayed naming the test squad for South Africa.

Convener of selectors Sir Richard Hadlee has suggested a decision on Cairns will be left until the ODI series ends on Saturday week, but he has decided to name his test squad tomorrow. "Obviously, we need some fresh legs in the bowling department and whether Chris remains with the side once the ODIs end next week will have a significant bearing on who else we pick to join the test attack," Sir Richard said.

Cairns, who aggravated his injury in last month's test series against Zimbabwe, missed the semifinal of the ICC Knockout Trophy against Pakistan but made a comeback in the final, bowling tidily and scoring an unbeaten century.

The 30-year-old veteran of 49 tests has managed to cross swords with most of the test-playing nations, but might well end his career without squaring off against South Africa if he is brought home early.