Cricket: Wildcard weighs on selectors' minds

By RICHARD BOOCK in Christchurch

If the selectors mean what they say about wanting players who can handle the heat at this summer's World Cup, Auckland all-rounder Kyle Mills must be figuring high in their calculations.

Widely tipped to miss the cut when Sir Richard Hadlee names his 15-man World Cup squad on Thursday, Mills has all the makings of the chairman's classic bolter - the player whose selection flies in the face of popular opinion.

In the past there have been Hamish Marshall, Ian Butler and three different versions of Glenn Sulzberger and Brendon McCullum.

There is bound to be an extra twist this time as well, particularly if all contenders are fit and available.

Not Sir Richard's typical novice, Mills has already seen action in a dozen one-day internationals, managing to fashion a strong early record despite playing his first 10 matches in Sri Lanka and Sharjah.

He has also been impressive at times during the first two ODIs against India, making a vital all-round contribution at Auckland and showing up with the ball in Napier, leading to his inclusion in an unchanged 12 for tomorrow's third match at Christchurch.

There is no small amount of steel in Mills' game or in the way he approaches it, borne out by his reaction to adversity and the steady progress he's made on his batting and bowling over the past 18 months.

Only 23, he initially had some remedial work to do on his action but bounced strongly to become one of Auckland's most useful all-rounders, making his ODI debut against Pakistan in April last year.

His next hurdle was dealing with being dropped from the ODI side for all of last season. Then, as if things were not difficult enough, he was left off New Zealand Cricket's list of 20 contracted players.

The attraction of having Mills in the squad is that he tends to bowl into the pitch more than someone such as Scott Stryris.

He is therefore more likely to trouble opposition batsmen in South African conditions, particularly on the flat pitches expected at Bloemfontein, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.

Mills can also bat effectively and catches most chances that come his way, a combination that would make him a valuable member of a New Zealand side that's unlikely to be bristling with in-form top-order batsmen.

That there are still some telling glances over his action is perhaps understandable, as slow-motion television replays show some interesting mechanics from the front-on angle, without suggesting anything untoward from side-on or behind.

But no official complaints have been made and New Zealand Cricket has sounded singularly unalarmed over the issue, which means nothing will stand in the way of his World Cup campaign if the selectors decide they want him.

Mills' chances depend heavily on the availability of star all-rounder Chris Cairns and his status within the squad if picked, as Cairns' ability to bowl will dictate whether he challenges for a place as a specialist batsman.

If Cairns cannot bowl, he will presumably go head-to-head with the rest of the batsmen for a place in the top six, leaving room for a bowling all-rounder such as Mills to fit in lower down the order.

Should Cairns recover to the extent that he is able to contribute with the ball then Mills' case is not quite as strong.

However, there are still a number of reasons he could be retained - not least the form of the other contenders.

Styris, although he has been struggling, would be desperately unlucky to miss out after his heroics in the West Indies.

But there is no doubt that fellow all-rounder Jacob Oram is a certainty, as is Andre Adams, fitness permitting.

Possibly the most interesting dilemma is that of Chris Harris, who needs to convince the selectors that he is not only fit, but just as effective with the bat, ball and in the field, a recipe that made him such an automatic selection in his heyday.

It might be blasphemy to suggest it in these parts, but unless the 214-game veteran can recapture his influence in all three disciplines, he might be the one to miss the cut.