Cricket: Spearman looks likely for test recall

By Richard Boock

Long-running concerns over the top-order batting will prompt the New Zealand cricket selectors to revive the test career of Craig Spearman when they name their squad for the tour of India tomorrow.

Not even the magnitude of the series success in England could disguise the run-scoring problems at the top of the order, and the selectors have almost certainly reacted by opting for more batting cover on the sub-continent.

This is good news for Spearman, who was first picked by Glenn Turner in 1995 but - apart from two tests in Zimbawe in 1997 - was unable to cement a place in the team coached by Steve Rixon.

The Central Districts captain was second only to Matt Horne in terms of first-class runs scored last season after clocking up 842 at 52.62, including 406 at 58.00 in the Shell Trophy, which CD ended up winning for the first time in a decade.

The 27-year-old right-hander might not have played quite well enough in his past eight tests to establish his position in the side but neither has he looked out of his depth, punctuating his 508 runs (at 31.75) with a century against Zimbabwe at Eden Park three years ago.

A player with a reputation for shot-making, Spearman has nonetheless struggled in the one-day international arena, scoring just 531 runs in 31 ODIs at 17.13.

However, with the selectors retaining the right to make squad changes between the end of the test series and the start of the five-match ODI series, the opportunity exists to monitor his form before deciding whether to retain his services.

Having chewed the fat with Rixon in Christchurch, new coach David Trist now faces the challenge of building on the success in England, and fine-tuning a lineup that is finally regaining some respect in the eyes of its public.

The main questions surrounding the touring squad involve the choice of a second spinner, the composition of the pace attack, and the changes likely to be made for the ODI section of the tour.

The latter issue is no small point and, if the selectors can see no other way around it, could well signal the decline of Chris Harris' test prospects, despite his sterling service last summer against South Africa, and a handy contribution at Old Trafford.

In test terms, the problem with Harris is that, while he does not ordinarily command a place as either a specialist batsman or a specialist bowler, he does take the touring space of a player who could provide back-up to either department.

That he is a top limited-overs cricketer, there is no debate, but there is now a question of whether the selectors will require him for test duty in India.

Otherwise, the touring squad should contain few further dilemmas, with Paul Wiseman set to resume his test career as the second spinner to Daniel Vettori, and pacemen Andrew Penn and Chris Drum both in with a chance of being included.

The news on Chris Cairns' injured knee seems optimistic enough, but with left-armer Geoff Allott unlikely to be fit in time, the selectors need to decide whether to pick both Penn and Drum, or leave Harris in the test squad and take just one of them.

The option is to fly Harris and a possibly recovered Allott over later for the ODI series.

Test squad (possible): Steve Fleming (captain), Matt Horne, Matthew Bell, Craig Spearman, Nathan Astle, Roger Twose, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Daniel Vettori, Andrew Penn, Paul Wiseman, Shayne O'Connor, Chris Drum.

ODI squad (possible): Steve Fleming (captain), Matt Horne, Matthew Bell, Craig Spearman, Nathan Astle, Roger Twose, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Daniel Vettori, Andrew Penn, Chris Drum, Chris Harris, Geoff Allott.