Cricket: Hira hoping to impress with strong showing in Florida

Ronnie Hira relishes every chance he gets to play for New Zealand. Photo / Dean Purcell

An announcement a week ago did not exactly enhance Ronnie Hira's chances of making New Zealand's T20 world championship squad.

When former captain Dan Vettori made himself available for the tournament in Sri Lanka in September, it effectively bumped his fellow left arm spinner Hira down the pecking order one spot.

Vettori has ruled himself out of limited-overs internationals for more than a year. His 272nd and most recent ODI was in March last year; his 28th and last T20 was at Lauderhill, Florida, 25 months ago.

Hira got his chance last season against Zimbabwe and South Africa. Altogether he took three for 119 off 15 overs in those five matches, at an economy rate of a blink under eight an over. He did enough to give the selectors pause for thought.

Now Hira is hoping to show in New Zealand's two T20 internationals against the West Indies at Lauderhill on Sunday and Monday (NZT) that there is merit in having him in spin-friendly Sri Lanka.

On past evidence, Vettori and offspinner Nathan McCullum would be the first two picks. But the New Zealand squad should have room for a third spin option.

"I can't worry about it too much," Hira said from Miami yesterday.

"Dan Vettori has done enough for New Zealand cricket, so it speaks for itself. If he decides he's ready to come back and play again that's great, because obviously we're a better team with him playing.

"I've just got to worry about what I bring to the park, and relish every chance I get."

And Hira knows, with legspinner Tarun Nethula getting his chance in the five ODIs to follow in Jamaica and St Kitts, that his chances are limited.

"There's only four T20s before the start of the World Cup [New Zealand have two in India shortly before the tournament] so there's not been a lot of opportunities with no cricket over winter to put any numbers up."

Hira knows he is only likely to get the Indian trip if he's already in the cup squad, so Florida, effectively, is his last chance to impress.

He felt he went "all right" against Zimbabwe and South Africa.

"I guess I did enough but now I'm looking to cement a spot, and play well enough to get in the World Cup squad."

For senior allrounder Jacob Oram, the result of these two matches is less important than the players getting themselves back into match condition.

"The players look fresh. Everyone should be fresh and fit after three months of just gym work, running the roads and bowling indoors," he said.

"The key now is turning that fitness into match performance."