Simon Child's decision not to join his Black Sticks teammates on the flight to New Delhi for the World Cup, which starts in the Indian capital on Sunday, was not taken lightly.
Speaking after his return from Perth, where the national team played warm-up matches against the World Cup-bound Australians,Child said it was a tough personal decision.
"There were a couple of aspects to my decision," he said yesterday.
"Firstly the heightened security was part of this. Secondly, I didn't feel comfortable about competing in India and if I travelled with the team [to play in the World Cup] I would not have been at my best.
"The heightened level of security does not create an ideal high-performance environment. I would not be fully committed to the team. I don't think that is fair on my team-mates or myself."
"I would like to add that Hockey New Zealand and the New Zealand Hockey Players Association have been fantastic throughout this process," said Child, 21, and last year's player of the tournament at the Junior World Cup in Malaysia where he led the Junior Black Sticks.
Child, who has played more than 100 internationals, has been replaced by North Harbour's Priyesh Bhana.
Child says he now has the chance to refocus.
"This now gives me an opportunity to take a break, refresh myself," he said. "I'm looking forward to the rest of the European season with my club Rotterdam."
Other members of the Black Sticks including captain Phil Burrows and Ryan Archibald - both 200-plus veterans in the Black Sticks - are also returning to Europe after the World Cup. New Zealand's first World Cup game is against Canada late on Monday night.
