By RICHARD BOOCK
Geoff Allott is poised to make a surprise return to the ranks of international cricket when the New Zealand team to tour Singapore is announced tomorrow.
The left-arm paceman was facing a bleak future after being forced out of the game with a back injury last year, but has responded to treatment and seems likely to be given another chance at next month's triangular tournament.
The New Zealand selectors will name a 13-strong squad for Singapore and up to 15 for the subsequent tour of Zimbabwe, with the limited pace bowling options expected to dominate discussion as much as the top-order batting.
While optimism abounds over Allott's fitness, New Zealand Cricket has adopted a name, rank and serial number approach to questions concerning Dion Nash, who sustained a fresh back injury last season and missed the entire series against Australia.
If the secret squirrel information has any foundation, it seems Nash may have received a setback in his recovery and is in doubt for the start of the international season, leaving the door open for either Andrew Penn or Daryl Tuffey.
NZC's director of player development, Ashley Ross, has been monitoring Nash's fitness, but shied away from media questions yesterday, saying it was inappropriate to comment.
Allott played his most recent first-class match 11 months ago against Essex, when a stress fracture injury forced him out of the tour of India and the following home series against the West Indies and Australia.
Although it looked like the end of the road for the 29-year-old at that stage, a combination of his own healing abilities and a dearth of top-class replacements meant he was never far from the selectors' thoughts, particularly after the problems experienced against Australia last summer.
One possibility is that the selectors will take Allott to Singapore as an extra player and use him in only one or two matches, to see whether he is ready for the next stage of the season - the tour of Zimbabwe, the ICC knockout tournament in Kenya and the subsequent tour of South Africa.
The World Cup star has so far taken 43 one-day international wickets at 18.33 (against his 19 test wickets at 58.47).
Another question is whether the selectors will change their minds over the preferred preparation for New Zealand A opening batsman Mark Richardson, who impressed in the first-class section of the England tour, but was hardly used in the one-day games.
The new panel apparently believe that Richardson, almost certain to be included in the squad to tour Zimbabwe, is best left to concentrate on impending test duty, rather than being distracted by a possible one-day role.
Possible ODI squad: Nathan Astle, Chris Nevin, Matthew Sinclair, Stephen Fleming (capt), Roger Twose, Chris Cairns, Craig McMillan, Chris Harris, Daniel Vettori, Scott Styris, Shayne O'Connor, Geoff Allott, Daryl Tuffey.
Possible test squad: Matt Horne, Craig Spearman, Mark Richardson, Mathew Sinclair, Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Andrew Penn, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Paul Wiseman, Shayne O'Connor, Geoff Allott.
Cricket: Allott tipped for selection in Black Caps tour squad
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.