Cricket: Wiseman hanging on in there

In the outrageously over-priced house bar of Adelaide's Hyatt Regency, Paul Wiseman was wearing a tortured look.

If a player's quirks become a signature then Wiseman's is his look of sheer horror every time a batsman hits him for four or an appeal is turned down - like he's just found out Mike Tyson is dating his sister.

In the bar - he's just passing through - it's no different. He's just been told that Hawkeye judged an lbw appeal he had against Adam Gilchrist, in the second test of the recent tour to Australia, to be hitting middle stump halfway up.

He mutters something distinctly Anglo-Saxon.

When you've got used to living with the thought that every over you bowl could be your last in test cricket for some time, information like that hurts.

If Wiseman's look - sometimes described as hangdog - is a manifestation of a lack of selection security, then he's got more reason to smile these days.

Wiseman blew the lid off his personal best figures when he took 9-13 against Central Districts early last week. He now has the second-best figures in New Zealand first-class history but maintains a healthy streak of cynical humour.

"It's not going to dent my confidence, something like that happening. But you've got to put it in perspective," Wiseman says, pointing to the fact that Central, decent as they may be, are not blessed with the likes of Justin Langer and Gilchrist.

"But it can only do good. You want to be able to draw on your successful times. Hopefully if I get a chance against the Australians I can look back on that and also the series that's just been in Australia."

That's the rub with being Wiseman; although clearly the second-best spinner in the country, his spot is seldom guaranteed.

That can be the way of the off-spinner. In fact, the Australians have such contempt for that particular art, they have used utility players like Colin Miller and batsmen like Mark Waugh and Andrew Symonds rather than a specialist.

More often than not, Wiseman's spot in the team relies on matters beyond his control, like the state of the pitch. He's guaranteed a trip to the subcontinent ("I'm thinking about taking up residency in Sri Lanka or India") but it must otherwise be a fragile existence.

"It is [frustrating], but it's something I've had since I was in my teens so after 15 years you learn to deal with it. It's part of your job. Everyone else has a job and they have certain skills and I'm no different," he says.

"You hope conditions are in your favour, or there are left-handers in the other team, but I don't look with too much regret on things like that."

So he never wanted to be a fast bowler, then?

"Oh yeah, definitely. I don't think there's a spinner around who wouldn't want to inflict some pain on a batsman from time to time. Initially I tried to bowl fast, but realised that was never going to happen so I had to find something else to do."

Wiseman started bowling spin as a 16-year-old, a No 4 batsman bored with standing around in the field watching his East Coast Bays team-mates having all the fun with ball in hand.

He was picked for the seniors, a big honour, if one that turned out to be a backhanded compliment.

"I assumed it was for my batting but it turned out they were only interested in my bowling."

Wiseman is a recognised threat against any first-class line-up but test recognition has been harder.

In 22 tests, Wiseman has 59 wickets at the unflattering cost of 44 runs each.

There has been muted talk of Stephen Fleming having a lack of confidence in Wiseman, something Fleming has always strenuously denied and Wiseman doesn't buy it either.

After playing well in Adelaide, he wasn't picked for the first test in Brisbane but he is lined up for more action when Australia return next month.

"Australia are the best and if you can compete with them it's such a buzz. I'd like to have another go, albeit in different circumstances, different pitch conditions and," (this is the bit he's not so keen on) "smaller boundaries. That makes life tougher."

The left-handers in the Aussie line-up make Wiseman's selection less of a gamble too - Langer, Matthew Hayden, Darren Lehmann, Simon Katich and Gilchrist.

"I enjoy bowling to left-handers because the ball turns away. Also the Australians go at the ball hard. It's such a challenge."

One he'll look forward to with a grimace.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY