Cricket: Absence of Cairns for Sth Africa tour on players' minds

Chris Cairns will be out of sight, but far from out of mind this evening when the New Zealand cricketers touch down in Johannesburg for their one-day series against South Africa.

The New Zealand squad flew out of Christchurch yesterday without the veteran Canterbury all-rounder, who was sensationally axed after the tour to Zimbabwe and told to play more cricket if he wished to be reinstated.

The decision has caused controversy. Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe even suggested the presence of Glenn Turner on the selection panel had counted against Cairns.

Turner, coach of the 1995-96 side, had an acrimonious falling-out with Cairns during that season's tour of the West Indies, to the extent that he later petitioned New Zealand Cricket to seek psychological assistance for their charge.

The upshot was that NZC replaced Turner with Australian coach Steve Rixon, and Cairns became one of the modern game's greatest all-rounders.

Crowe wrote in a column that he was still kicking himself for not betting on Cairns' axing when Turner's involvement was announced, such was the bad blood between the pair.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming spoke with feeling yesterday as he described the unease he felt about leaving behind one of the country's best players, who had a proven record against the Proteas.

Cairns has a batting average of 37.90 in South Africa, which compares favourably to his overall career average of 29.31.

"I'm definitely disappointed about not having Chris Cairns in the side, in fact any time we haven't got him in the dressing room is a bit of a set-back," Fleming said. "Chris has been a huge contributor for New Zealand. He's got a great record in South Africa, and when he's fit and in-form, he can be pretty irresistible."

But Fleming said he hoped that any short-term pain would translate into a long-term gain in time for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, which Cairns set as his preferred swansong.

"Anything that gets him fit and back to peak form in time for the World Cup campaign has got to be good for him, the team and our title chances," he said.

"The important thing is to do whatever's right to get the best out of Chris.

"I know he's very positive and feeling very determined, and hopefully he'll bounce back because he's a very influential player."

Fleming acknowledged the World Cup was 18 months away and that a lot of cricket would be played before a squad could be considered, not least a busy one-day schedule this season.

But he said the West Indies-based tournament was becoming more relevant to squad selections and on-field strategy and was seen as the long-term priority whenever an issue was up for debate.

For all that, New Zealand have a dramatic history of touring South Africa. and Fleming knows he will have his hands full for this abbreviated visit, comprising a 10-day practice period, a Twenty-20 showdown and five one-dayers.

He said there probably would be more drama this time around, especially after New Zealand trounced South Africa 5-1 at home in 2003-04.

"I'm pretty sure they were hurting pretty badly over the way things turned out in that series, and I'm equally sure they'll be keen to turn things around in this series and make amends," he said.

"But we've got a stronger side this time too, so it should be a pretty competitive series."

BLACK CAPS vs SOUTH AFRICA - FIXTURES

Oct 23
Twenty20, Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Oct 25
1st ODI, Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein

Oct 28
2nd ODI, Sahara Park, Cape Town

Oct 30
3rd ODI, Sahara Oval, Port Elizabeth

Nov 4
4th ODI, Sahara Stadium, Durban

Nov 6
5th ODI, SuperSport Park, Centurion