Cricket: Cricketers may need powers of diplomacy

By RICHARD BOOCK

The New Zealand cricketers can expect their powers of diplomacy to be tested as much as their playing ability through the first half of this season's international programme.

The New Zealand one-day squad depart for Australia today on the first leg of a four-month-long journey which will unwittingly carry them to some of the hot spots of world cricket and pit them against some of the most controversial players.

After two practice matches against a Queensland selection, New Zealand are set to contest a triangular tournament in Singapore against match-fixing heavyweights South Africa and Pakistan, tour politically tense Zimbabwe, and then arrive in South Africa during the aftermath of the "Cronjegate" scandal.

The David Trist-coached squad might have been hoping for a relatively low-key start to the season in Singapore, but are instead likely to come up against a Pakistan side containing several tarnished reputations, and a South African side including Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams.

Gibbs and Willliams told South Africa's King inquiry several weeks ago that former skipper Hansie Cronje had offered them money to under-perform in matches this year. The Johannesburg Star newspaper said yesterday that it was anticipated that Judge Edwin King would recommend a life ban for the pair, but would suggest it be suspended for the rest of their cricket careers.

If Gibbs was cleared to play again, he could be back in the South African team as early as next week, squaring off against Australia in a one-day series, before continuing on to the triangular tournament in Singapore.

Judge King's interim report is expected to be released this weekend.

Trist said the New Zealand squad were anxious to steer clear of any controversy while abroad, and in any case would be fully occupied just coping with the challenges of such strong opponents.

"Singapore will be tough, no doubt about that," he said yesterday. "Pakistan and South Africa have both been playing some cricket while our guys have been working out in the nets, in gymnasiums, and on the road, which makes things difficult.

"But they're really looking forward to starting up again. They're like bears coming out of hibernation and feeling very excited about the salmon run.

"They're fresh and fit, and hopefully the practice games in Aussie will bring them up to speed."

Trist, who is not averse to the occasional evening at the races, said that in terms of the pre-Christmas itinerary, New Zealand wanted to get away well at the start (Singapore), consolidate their position through Zimbabwe and Kenya, and end with a withering run in South Africa.

"Everything's important, every section of this trip relates closely to the next section," he said. "Singapore, Zimbabwe and Kenya are both jumps in the big race, and we need to clear them with style to be there at the end."

He said New Zealand's strong performance in the one-day arena over the past 12 months had resulted in invitations to tournaments such as the Singapore tri-series, and a favourable ranking at the mini-World Cup in Nairobi, where they will start their campaign at the quarter-final stage against Zimbabwe.

Considering the amount of toil and disappointment it took to get to today's level, Trist said it was imperative this summer's side built on that hard work and continued to enhance New Zealand's standing in the limited-overs environment.

"Our long-term goal is to make the final of that 2003 World Cup, and the hard work starts now," he said. "We've reached the semis a few times in the past, but now it's time to take it one step further, and I genuinely believe we can do that

"Every tournament from now on is a stepping stone. All the players know that if they want to be assured of going to the next tournament, they need to perform now. They appreciate the need to keep improving."

In the shorter term, he said the tour of South Africa rated as the "big one" for the players, and held a special significance for him as a keen student of New Zealand cricket and a former Eastern Province coach.

New Zealand have toured South Africa on three previous occasions, in 1953-54, when Bert Sutcliffe and Bob Blair made the Ellis Park crowd go quiet, in 1961-62 when John Reid's side squared the series 2-2, and in 1994-95, when Ken Rutherford's troops became the first team in 100 years to lose a three-test series after winning the first match.