Cricket: I'll be back in the test arena says McMillan

By RICHARD BOOCK

A defiant Craig McMillan has vowed to rekindle his test career after being controversially omitted from the New Zealand squad for the coming tour of Bangladesh.

The 27-year-old former New Zealand vice-captain appears to have paid the ultimate price for some indifferent form over the past season, during which time New Zealand lost five of their eight tests, including a humiliating 3-0 whitewash in England.

His place in the test squad has been taken by Hamish Marshall, who won promotion on the strength of his eye-opening form in the one-day arena, and despite not having scored a first-class century in five seasons of top cricket.

In contrast, McMillan has played 52 tests, is one of nine New Zealanders to have scored more 3000 test runs, averages 40.07, and has scored six centuries - including a top-score of 142 against Sri Lanka at Colombo.

He said yesterday that he was extremely disappointed with his omission from the touring squad, but that he was far from finished and was determined to bounce back.

"Stephen Fleming's only really starting to hit his straps at 30, and I don't see any reason why I can't develop in a similar way," he said.

"I don't think I should be thrown on the scrapheap, but I don't mind people writing me off if they want to - it's good to be able to prove them wrong."

McMillan struggled during the winter tour of England, scoring 6 and 0 at Lord's before missing the second test with two broken fingers, and then scratching out 0 and 30 in the series finale at Trent Bridge.

He batted only twice in the home series against South Africa, scoring 19 and 82, but was an abject disappointment in the earlier series against Pakistan, when he had scores of 22, 2, 26 and 3 not out.

His last top-drawer effort was on last year's tour of India, when he emerged from the two test series with an average of 237 - following an unbeaten century at Mohali, and an unbeaten 83 at Ahmedabad.

"I think my tests record is pretty good, and stands up there with the best of 'em," he said. "It's difficult to accept - I really think my form and my contribution to the team lately has been quite healthy."

Coach John Bracewell said yesterday that it wasn't so much a case of McMillan deserving to be dropped, as Marshall deserving to be promoted.

Marshall had proved a revelation on the one-day scene after receiving an opportunity last year and Bracewell didn't want to die wondering about the right-hander's potential in the longer game.

"All I can say is that this kid can play at international level," Bracewell said. "Why can't he do the same thing at domestic level? I haven't got an answer for that."

What Bracewell did know was that Marshall had grabbed his ODI opportunities in impressive fashion, scoring 751 runs at 41.72 in 23 games, including 101 not out against Pakistan and seven half-centuries.

The 25-year-old right-hander could also call on some fleeting experience in the test arena, having been rushed into the 2000 line-up for the third test against South Africa, and emerging from the washed-out match with an unbeaten 40.

McMillan said it felt unusual to lose his place to someone who had struggled so much at first-class level, but that he understood the reasons behind Marshall's selection and wished him well on the tour.

Craig McMillan

Age: 28

Tests: 52

Runs: 3046

Average: 40.07

Highest score: 142 v Sri Lanka, Colombo, 1998

Wickets: 28

The squad: New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (c), Nathan Astle, Ian Butler, James Franklin, Hamish Marshall, Chris Martin, Brendan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Michael Papps, Mark Richardson, Scott Styris, Daniel Vettori, Paul Wiseman.

The schedule:

October 14-16: warm-up match, Dhaka

October 19-23, first test, Dhaka

October 26-30, second test, Chittagong

November 2, first ODI, Chittagong

November 5, second ODI, Dhaka (D/N)

November 7, third ODI, Dhaka.