Cricket: Chance for Penn to put nightmare behind him

By RICHARD BOOCK

Of all the players with points to prove in the three-day match between Pakistan and New Zealand A starting today, Andrew Penn might well be feeling the most desperate.

The Wellington paceman has a chance to resurrect his international ambitions after a nightmare performance against Sri Lanka last month, when he admitted suffering a panic attack during the opening one-day international at Napier.

Penn had the sort of game sports psychologists perform case-studies on, bowling four wides in his second over - which went for 19 runs - and letting loose another four wides when introduced later in the innings.

Relegated to 12th man for the second ODI, at Wellington, he then made a crucial mistake in the field as Sri Lanka charged towards the total, and was dropped from the squad later that evening.

Penn, who seems likely to share the new ball with Chris Drum, was remarkably candid after the Napier debacle, conceding he had choked under the pressure of his comeback ODI.

"I had an anxiety attack. I seized up. I didn't want to bowl the ball," he said at the time. "The pressure got to me and I had a fear of releasing the ball ... I just hope I get another chance."

The selectors were not tempted to offer him one during the remaining ODIs against Sri Lanka, or for the series against Pakistan, but have thrown a lifeline his way in the form of a chance with New Zealand A.

Penn has had such a calamitous season that he might well be wondering what will happen this time.

The 26-year-old was initially selected to join the New Zealand test team in South Africa, only to be ruled out by a side strain just before he departed.

When he eventually joined the team as replacement for a different player, he bowled so well at East London that he ended up with a five-wicket bag and was immediately pencilled into the side for the second test at Port Elizabeth.

A day later, he aggravated the side strain and was invalided out of the tour.

Convener of selectors Sir Richard Hadlee has said Penn deserved another chance, and ranks he and Drum as the main back-up bowlers for the test attack.

The game will also be significant for most of Penn's New Zealand A team-mates.

Drum and leg-spinner Brooke Walker will also want to remind the selectors of their worth, and their Auckland teammate Kyle Mills is another with much to play for at Lincoln's Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

On the batting front, New Zealand A will feature form players such as Richard Jones, Lou Vincent, Jacob Oram, and Chris Gaffaney.

The tourists seem likely to include both young fast bowler Mohammad Sami and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed - both unsighted so far on tour. Their three new players, Younis Khan, Arshad Khan and Humayun Farhat are also a strong chance to play.

Teams:

New Zealand A: Jacob Oram (capt), Richard Jones, Gary Stead, Lou Vincent, Chris Gaffaney, Glen Sulzberger, Chris Nevin, Kyle Mills, Brooke Walker, Andrew Penn, Chris Drum.

Pakistan: Moin Khan (capt), Saeed Anwar, Younis Khan, Salim Elahi, Imran Farhat, Yousuf Youhana, Arshad Khan, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami, Humayun Farhat, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed.