Cricket: O'Connor recalled as injury strikes Doull

DUNEDIN - Whatever the shortcomings of this New Zealand cricket team, they could never be accused of being unpredictable.

Breakfast at 8am, practice at 9.30 am, and Simon Doull's stretcher ordered for noon.

Only 48 hours out from the start of the Bank of New Zealand test series, the Kiwis have rushed swing-bowler Shayne O'Connor into the squad as a replacement for their leading wicket-taker, Doull, who has been forced out of the first test, at least, with a calf strain.

When the New Zealand selectors pick Doull in their test squad, 13 are required as an absolute minimum. In a relatively short career, he has already suffered lower-back problems, ankle sprains, groin strains and has pulled one calf muscle - and immediately after recovering from that has pulled the other.

If it were not for the rare form of O'Connor and the lingering suspicion that he should have been playing in this test anyway, the news of Doull's injury - which was sustained during the practice match against Otago in Dunedin on Tuesday - might have been a major blow to the optimism surrounding the New Zealand camp.

But as it is, New Zealand should not miss a beat through the late change, with O'Connor turning in a particularly impressive spell with the ball at practice yesterday in preparation for his first test on his home ground.

"To be not picked initially, that was a setback, a disappointment," O'Connor said yesterday. "But it was great to be brought back in. I'm feeling great. I can't wait to get started.

"The Carisbrook deck's usually quite fast and bouncy early on, so I'd love to have a crack at the Indians on the first morning."

Barring a total surprise in the team composition, O'Connor seems sure to join up with fellow left-arm fast bowler Geoff Allott for the first time since the second test at Perth last summer - which was only the second occasion on which New Zealand have played two specialist left-arm quick bowlers in a test.

Convener of selectors Ross Dykes yesterday stuck to the same rationale he used when the two lefties were first picked to play, against Australia in Perth.

"It might be uncommon but it's still a matter of picking our best bowlers," Dykes said.

He considered O'Connor a totally different type of bowler from Allott, who tended to sacrifice swing in the search for outright pace.

"You're not getting the same thing at all from those two guys," Dykes said. "Geoff gets it through quite a bit quicker than Shayne, who's a genuine swing-bowler like Simon [Doull].

"It's sad to see Simon have another setback like that, but it is exciting to have Shayne playing. The good thing is that we have a bit of depth in that area right now."

Doull will travel to Christchurch today to visit a podiatrist, but will return to Dunedin and stay with the New Zealand side during the test.

--Richard Boock, New Zealand Herald