Cricket: Golden chance for our Goldie

Jeff Wilson

Truth be known, Jeff Wilson is more worried about the Jade Stadium crowd than the prospect of failure.

Having seen the good, the bad and the ugly at Christchurch during his 24-carat rugby career, the recalled Black Cap reckons one of his biggest motivations tomorrow will be the fear of being lampooned by the country's most parochial crowd.

Wilson, a shock selection for the series against the World XI, will return to international cricket after a 12-year absence if he is named in the playing XI for tomorrow's first match.

Despite having recently shifted to Canterbury with wife and Silver Fern Adine Harper, he knows that he's still considered something of a visitor in the land of red-and-black, and that any mistakes in the middle are unlikely to go unnoticed.

"They're a tough crowd up here, so I better do everything right or they'll be on my back," said Wilson, who suggested he was seen as something of an interloper by locals, particularly as he was still playing his provincial cricket for Otago.

"I haven't been fully indoctrinated," he joked. "I live out of town, don't venture in much. Haven't got my passport yet."

For all his light-heartedness, the 31-year-old double-international is acutely aware of the scrutiny that his selection has attracted, and the fact that he is now facing the most public of sporting trials - and in front of one of the most fickle audiences.

Wilson's recall has created a wave of interest around the country, most involving the question of whether his well-known capabilities on the sportsfield can compensate for 12 years out of the game at the highest level.

He was looking a bit bemused when he turned up for his first New Zealand practice on Wednesday, only to find himself caught up in a media scrum - the centre of attention for every reporter and cameraman in the South Island.

"I really thought all those days were over," he said.

New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has been one of the first to call for calm over The Return of Goldie, although he added that if anyone could cope with the stress of pressure and expectations, it was Wilson.

"He's long enough in the tooth and has enough experience to cope, but we have to give the guy a chance," said Cairns.

"He was a great rugby player, but he's a brand new cricketer and we shouldn't confuse the two points. A lot of people remember him as a great sportsman but he's only new in this game and the challenge is a fairly tough one.

"Having said that, if anyone can do it he can, and personally - I'd just love to see him do well."

For his part Wilson is trying to lighten the load, down-playing his likely impact and talking at length about things such as "learning curves", and listening to his team-mates.

However, he naturally makes no apologies for his presence in the squad, saying that he'd always hoped to make it back, and that although his call-up arrived sooner than expected, he was determined to make the most of the development.

"I guess this past week has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride for me," he said. "You know, I've heard all the talk about whether I deserve to be in or not, but the bottom line is that this is an opportunity I've been given, and I'm going to try and take it.

"Right from the start I admitted it was a shock but that's gone now and I'm just concentrating on doing the job they want me to do, to the best of my ability.

"I don't think I've got anything to lose. I was surprised to be picked but obviously the selectors thought they saw something, and now it's up to me to go out and play the role they've requested."

In his third year of cricket since retiring from rugby, Wilson always appreciated that he would have his work cut out to return to the international arena, to the extent that his most recent goal was hoping to just emerge from the season injury-free.

He said a change to his fitness regime had appeared to pay dividends, as he was now able to bowl about 20 overs a day without any subsequent stiffness or aching - an almost unheard of state for any first-class pace bowler.

"I'm not as flexible as I used to be, so I've decided to try something completely different, and it's been working pretty well. It's a slightly different approach that relies on my body getting into shape as I bowl, rather than on any vigorous stretching regime."

The priority now was to maintain his fitness and try to adjust the intensity of his concentration so that he would be up to speed for the demands of international cricket.

"I always knew it was going to be tough to come back, both physically and mentally. It took me three years to get the physical side of things right, and now I have to work hard on the mental side."