Cricket: Survivor Nash fit for NZ tour

By RICHARD BOOCK

Cricketer Dion Nash is over the first hurdle in his race to be fit for Zimbabwe, and now needs only to pass a fitness test to be given the all-clear.

The combative allrounder caused smiles all round at New Zealand Cricket headquarters yesterday after receiving an encouraging report on his troublesome lower-back injury.

Although Nash was named in the 15-strong touring party last week, subject to a fitness test, the selectors had been privately prepared for the worst.

"This is good news for the side," selector Ross Dykes said yesterday. "Our advice was that Dion might not be available for the Zimbabwe leg, that he might only be ready for the [subsequent] tour of South Africa.

"But this suggests he's making good progress and could play a part in Zimbabwe, which is great for everyone."

The 28-year-old Aucklander will still need to pass a fitness test, but yesterday's findings on what is described as a bilateral stress fracture are regarded as a significant step forward.

Nash was almost lost to cricket after being forced out of the game with a back injury in 1996-97, and the near-miss proved the spur for NZC to enlist the services of Gilbert Enoka as player co-ordinator.

Dykes said Enoka's influence had been one of the major factors in Nash's prolonged availability, not to mention the rehabilitation of other key players such as Geoff Allott, Chris Cairns and Daniel Vettori.

"A lot of the credit for bringing these guys back into the fray should go to Gilbert," Dykes said. "He not only helps them physically, he also helps them to cope with the mental pressures involved in rehabilitating.

"It's no surprise to me that he's been snapped up by the All Blacks, because he really does add value to a team."

Enoka said yesterday that Nash's CAT scan showed healing on the right side, although the left was unchanged.

"He's on song for Zimbabwe," Enoka said."We've given him the all clear to continue with his build-up and the medical team are pretty happy."

The lack of improvement on the left side was apparently predictable given the nature of the injury.

"It's not alarming, it's what we expected," he said. "Dion still has a way to go, but he's bowling at 75 per cent without problems and we think he'll get there.

"We should see more improvement a bit later on and then he'll do the standard 'return to sport' fitness test."

Nash, who returned home early from last year's tour of India, was also sidelined at the end of last summer's series against the West Indies, and missed the entire test and one-day programme against Australia.

He has been spared from New Zealand's upcoming one-day tri-series in Singapore.