Cricket: Outspoken speedster gets chance

The axe has fallen on Chris Cairns (pictured here). Picture / Richard Boock

Fast Bowler Ian Butler is the surprise inclusion in the Black Caps team to face Australia in the inaugural Chappell-Hadlee Trophy match at Melbourne today.

Butler wasn't required for either test and was outspoken about his disappointment at missing out.

In last week's Herald on Sunday Butler said he was bowling as well as he ever had and couldn't understand his omission.

The axe has fallen on allrounders Chris Harris and Andre Adams and batsman Craig McMillan.

Bracewell admitted Butler was jumping out of his skin to play. "He is keen on a game of cricket. These tours can be frustrating when there are not many lead-up games, but this gives him a good opportunity to start the series."

Bracewell said the plan was for Chris Cairns and Butler to bowl at the death and Kyle Mills to open with the new ball to try and maximise the opportunity for swing early in the innings.

"We want to see if we can get Australia behind the eight ball with some swing penetration early. But obviously we have back-up plans to use if the situation requires it."

Mills had been used at the death in New Zealand last season, but proved costly.

Another feature of the team is the inclusion of Hamish Marshall ahead of McMillan, despite Marshall's recent run of poor form, including three failures during the one-dayers in Bangladesh.

"Hamish's one-day record has been excellent for us. We want to have a look at him at No 5 for the purpose of strike rotation and we think that is where he will eventually be best suited.

"It is also important we throw Hamish back in there and with the good form of Mathew Sinclair it obviously makes it a bit easier."

The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy offers the chance of redemption for many of the underperforming Black Caps, including Bracewell who was this week confirmed as coach through to the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's cricket selectors today confirmed star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan would be part of their tour squad to New Zealand, though he will start on the reserve list.

Muralitharan, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, has not been named in either the one-day or test squads.

Chairman of selectors Ashantha de Mel said Muralitharan would go to New Zealand to bowl in the nets and play in warm-up matches to test his arm out.

"If he shows complete recovery from the operation we will consider adding him as the 15th member to the squad. Otherwise we'll retain (Upul) Chandana," said de Mel.

Muralitharan had an operation in August to treat a lesion on his right shoulder. The first one-dayer is in Auckland on December 26; the first test in Hamilton on January 15.