David Leggat: Ryder carving a path to World Cup squad

Mike Hesson. File photo / NZME.

A few weeks back, Mike Hesson made the point that the World Cup door was not shut on Jesse Ryder.

Indeed, in the past he's stressed New Zealand selection isn't closed on any player.

However, there was a widespread suspicion in the case of the talented but wayward lefthander it was more a courtesy line than a serious prospect, such was the impression that he'd so scrambled his relations with management and teammates.

Now there is a shifting in the ground over Ryder with the cup rapidly approaching.

This week, Hesson and Ryder met in Dunedin and had a chat. Ryder is back from a successful season with Essex in English county cricket and has signed on for next year.

The county are delighted. Their coach Paul Grayson acknowledged that Ryder "came with a bit of baggage". He'd been told "you've done well, you've tamed the beast". However Grayson also got to the nub of Ryder.

For all the off-field dramas that have followed him, all the situations he has got himself in over the last few years, "he loves playing cricket" Grayson said.

And he plays it pretty well too.

He averages 40 from his 18 tests - the last of which was at Hobart in December 2011; 33.21 in 48 ODIs, most recently against India early this year before being banished in disgrace from the national squad, along with Doug Bracewell.

Nobody doubted his cricket ability, but it reached a point where trust had been lost to an unacceptable degree.

This week, South African captain, AB de Villiers, put on the spot at his press conference ahead of next week's ODI series, admitted Ryder was a matchwinner. By extension, he figured New Zealand might have to "find a way to get him in" for the cup.

Ryder said this week the idea that he had no desire to play for New Zealand again was well wide of the mark.

Hesson and Ryder evidently had a positive, if brief, conversation on Sunday.

Here's the issue for the New Zealand selectors, Hesson and Bruce Edgar: what say they don't include Ryder in their cup 15, due to be named in early January. Then Ryder starts cheerfully clobbering domestic attacks around the country, as is his wont.

The grumbling would be compounded if New Zealand then had top order batting woes in the ODI series against Sri Lanka - which runs through the second half of January, and after the cup squad has been named.

It's not as if New Zealand have a locked and loaded opening pair for the cup. Candidates are still being vetted, so to speak.

In his last ODI series, against India, Ryder didn't pass 20 in five innings, so do not view him as a guaranteed batting saviour. However in pure playing terms a New Zealand XI with Ryder in it is stronger than one without him.

A New Zealand squad is off to the United Arab Emirates for five ODIs next month. If Ryder is included, it's a clear signal that a cup callup is on. If not, with no further ODIs before the cup squad is named, it's unlikely to happen.

Let's be clear. Ryder is still more likely to miss out on the cup than make it.

However, the odds on a return appear to be slightly shorter than a few months ago.