Cricket: Frustrated O'Connor in the dark over his return

Injured Otago pace bowler Shayne O'Connor still has no idea how long it will be before he is back on the playing scene.

He has been sidelined with a mysterious knee injury, which resulted in him being sent home from the tour of Australia.

"I am still waiting to have an MRI scan,"he said yesterday.

"There is no point seeing a specialist until they have something to look at."

He has resumed light training, but is still limited in what he can do.

"I have been practising my batting, lifting a few weights and doing a bit of cycling.

"I haven't been doing any bowling, though. Unfortunately that is the one thing that still causes pain."

Watching New Zealand's sterling performance in the third test against Australia this week just made the injury break even more frustrating.

"You definitely have mixed feelings watching it back home. I was talking to Dion Nash, also injured, the other day and we both agreed it was hard to watch, but great to see," O'Connor said.

"Hard to watch because you know you could have been a part of it, but great to see the team performing so well. You feel so proud just to be associated with them."

O'Connor said he was not surprised by New Zealand's feat.

"While I was over there I felt there was something special about the team this year, so it was no real surprise to me they pulled out such a big effort.

"Yes, I guess people could argue we were lucky it rained during the first two tests, but no one could take anything away from their performance in the third test.

"I guess it has a lot to do with the team maturing. Plus we all went over there knowing it was going to take something special to beat Australia. It looks like all the players have been keen to put their hands up and do their bit."

O'Connor said new coach Denis Aberhart would feel uncomfortable if he was given all the credit for the improvement.

"I think it's a bit early to say whether Denis has been the big influence, just like it would be too early to point the finger at him if things had gone really badly," he said.

"Knowing Denis I am sure he would like a bit more time to prove himself."

But he does acknowledge the inspiration that captain Stephen Fleming has provided.

"Stephen seems to have found a new level in his captaincy and his batting this season.

"Perhaps that can be attributed to the time he spent playing county cricket in England.

"He told me he went over there to learn how to bat longer. He definitely seems to have a bit more steel now."

O'Connor was thrilled with the performance of debutant Lou Vincent, who was handed the unenviable task of opening the batting in the final test.

"I was so excited for Lou. He is just a real nice guy. I had a quiet word to him while I was over there and said, 'If you get a chance on this tour just make sure you take it.' He certainly did that."

Another to make the most of his chances was O'Connor's replacement, Canterbury fast bowler Shane Bond.

"They always say one man's demise is another man's gain, so good luck to him. I can't complain because that's how I got into the team, thanks to injuries to Simon Doull and Danny Morrison," O'Connor said.

While O'Connor is happy to acknowledge Bond's achievements, that does not mean he will have any qualms about fighting him for his test spot.

"Watching that third test just made me even more determined to get back in. I know it will be tough, but I'm confident if I can get out on the park I can put some big games together."

- NZPA