CAPE TOWN - New Zealand's series hopes against South Africa were dealt another heavy body-blow last night when it was revealed fast bowler Shane Bond is returning home for further treatment on his injured knee.
The 30-year-old paceman was ruled out of contention for the second test at Newlands, starting
tomorrow, after the recalcitrant joint in his right leg seized up following a moderate workout.
Bond had already been scratched from the first test at Centurion and was viewed as only a 50-50 chance for the second, a situation that prompted New Zealand Cricket to send over Central Districts paceman Michael Mason as cover. A decision on a further replacement is pending.
"If it was a series of one-dayers I may well have played, but we've bowled on every day of every test so far this summer and I don't think the knee would've stood up to that," Bond said last night. "It wasn't worth the risk. I'd hate to go into a test and let the team down in those circumstances, and I also have faith in the other members of the squad to go in there and do a good job, as they've done in the past."
Bond was unperturbed that the injury would also rule him out of his contract with English county side Gloucestershire this winter, a setback that's likely to leave him significantly out of pocket - possibly more than $75,000.
"Financially it's going to hurt a little bit but my priority has always been to play for New Zealand, especially in another World Cup," he said.
"So I try not to think too much about losing that money and instead concentrate on doing things properly so I can be around for next year's World Cup and other events like that."
Bond will at least have a decent break before being called on again by the selectors, as New Zealand have no more international commitments until the Champions Trophy in India, scheduled for October.
The knee injury is the latest in an extraordinary run of misfortune for the Cantabrian, who missed most of the 2003-04 season with stress-fracture complaints, returned home early from the 2004 tour of England, and missed a year after having his back strengthened with bone grafts and titanium.
Since making his test debut against Australia in 2001, he has played just 14 matches while missing a staggering 24.
"Before this tour I'd missed one test and three one-dayers in the whole season, and after the surgery that I'd recovered from, I don't think I probably could have done a lot better," he said. "I felt that if I could get through the season without anything serious happening I'd be happy, and though I'm not happy right now I think my season has been a positive one."
New Zealand manager Lindsay Crocker defended the decision to select Bond when his knee condition was known to medical staff.
"He was selected for the first warm-up game in Benoni, which indicates we were happy with his fitness from day one."
The other development yesterday involved the status of opener Hamish Marshall, who now seems almost certain to miss the second test, either on injury or form. Marshall, who was carrying the symptoms of a cracked rib after being struck at Centurion by Makhaya Ntini, did not have a bat yesterday and instead busied himself with providing throw-downs for the squad.
In contrast, Jamie How and Michael Papps, the specialist openers who will vie for Marshall's vacancy, both had full workouts in the nets.
Shane Bond faces six weeks of rest with his injured knee. File picture / Simon Baker
CAPE TOWN - New Zealand's series hopes against South Africa were dealt another heavy body-blow last night when it was revealed fast bowler Shane Bond is returning home for further treatment on his injured knee.
The 30-year-old paceman was ruled out of contention for the second test at Newlands, starting
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