Cricket: Unexpected callup puts Nethula in a spin

Tarun Nethula. Photo / Paul Estcourt

When it came, the message surprised new New Zealand spinner Tarun Nethula.

Not that he hadn't been hoping for a callup into the national side; it's just he thought his chances as an ODI selection were slim.

The legspinner is in the squad of 14 for three 50-over internationals against Zimbabwe, starting in Dunedin tomorrow. He thought if he heard one day he had been given the nod it would be in the longer form.

"It was more a surprise because I'd never really put myself into contention for the limited-overs format," he said yesterday. "I didn't make any winter tours, either the A side or Emerging Players. I thought there were a couple ahead of me. It took a while to sink in."

Nethula, born in Hyderabad but in Auckland since he was 11, has good figures since given a chance by Auckland in the 2008-09 season, when he took 28 wickets to help them win the championship.

But he moved to Central Districts for last season in a bid to get more short-game opportunities.

"The main reason was to try and really challenge myself to play all forms of the game. I was desperate to play limited-overs cricket. Auckland had an abundance of allrounders and spinners. I approached CD and I'm quite grateful they gave me an opportunity."

Nethula gives the ball a decent rip and his challenge is to blend consistency with not compromising on spinning the ball hard. He has taken 78 first-class wickets in 27 games, with an economy rate of 3.65. He's taken 16 at 19.62 this season for CD, along with 10 at 20.8 in the T20 HRV Cup.

Former Auckland teammate Ronnie Hira has been given a chance in the T20 side as the selectors canvass prospects for a busy overseas touring schedule. Between now and the end of this year, New Zealand will tour West Indies, Sri Lanka, India and South Africa.

"It is one of my goals to finish the season in a really strong manner and put myself in the frame to get on a winter tour," Nethula, 28, said. "If there is an opening for a second spinner, I definitely want to be the one putting my hand up. But it's baby steps for now."

Nethula is grateful to his father, Sainath, for supporting him, and getting him through the tough times, including the death of his mother, Prameela, in 1997.

"The experience of being around four seasons has definitely helped me grow in confidence and understand my game a little better."

Keep that improvement on an upward curve and more good things may lie ahead this year for Nethula.