Yes, no, wait: Shane Bond may return

Shane Bond may be allowed to play international cricket again - but it's unlikely to be in time for next month's test series against Australia.

The high-class New Zealand fast bowler has been banned from international cricket since the end of last year, when he signed with the rebel Indian Cricket League.

However, a potential thawing of relations between the Board of Cricket in India and the ICL has raised the possibility of Bond's ban being lifted in time for New Zealand's first test against Australia, starting in Brisbane on November 20.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan wasn't holding his breath yesterday, believing there was a torrent of water to go under the bridge before Bond, 33, will be back in black.

"What appears to have come out is a commitment from the BCCI to meet the ICL, but till that happens no one is in a position to know what the outcome is," Vaughan said.

"It's good to see a slight thawing in the relationship ... but how long it takes to happen is anybody's guess.

"If it was fully sanctioned, there would be no obstacles to players like Shane returning to international cricket, but I believe you would get pretty long odds on it being sanctioned that quickly [before November 20]."

New Zealand Cricket chairman Alan Isaac attended this week's two-day ICC meeting in Dubai, at which the ICC said BCCI president Shashank Manohar would meet ICL representatives to discuss the matter.

Bond is now playing for the Delhi Giants in the ICL. He is believed to have maintained his impeccable attitude to fitness and would jump at the chance to re-open a career that brought him 79 wickets at an average of 22.39 in 17 tests and 125 wickets at 19.32 in 67 one-day internationals.

Meanwhile, Vaughan said the first round of interviews to find the next New Zealand coach had been completed.

The final five candidates are believed to be South Africans Graham Ford (the favourite) and Micky Arthur, Australian Matthew Mott, and Dipak Patel and Andy Moles, both based in New Zealand.

Vaughan hoped he would be able to name John Bracewell's replacement in the next "two to three weeks".

The successful candidate would probably start when Bracewell's contract expires in April, although Bracewell has offered to step down if a suitable replacement is found before then.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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ben   #5   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Oh dear, this article made reducdant by the news this morning that Bond doesn't want to return anyway.

David Hargreaves   #4   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Bond not being allowed to play test cricket is more damaging to test cricket than Bond earning dollars in an unsanctioned competition ever was. The farcical situation of a fit Shane Bond bowling for an English county side when he could/should have been playing for NZ should never have been allowed to occur. What a difference he could have made to the last series...Who benefits from this ban? Why are the Indian Cricket authorities allowed to dictate to the NZ selectors? Quite simply the NZ board should thumb their noses at the BCCI and select Bond for the series against the Australians. Anyone who has a love of the game rather than a love of the financial spin off would surely want to see the Australians pit themselves against the best that NZ has to offer!

Tony   #3   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

We have moved on from all of those ICL players now, lets stick with the guys we have and build for the future.Let them play in a league where no one cares who wins or losses its all about the cash.

flippi   #2   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Good job! Two top-rank leagues in one market, running in parallel is NEVER sustainable in sport.

Just ask anyone who followed Gridiron in the 60s, or Rugby League in the late '90s..

Eventually the administrators saw sense, and realised that with a united competition the game survives can survive and even expand.

Jasper   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Who would win a one day international?

Lou Vincent, Nathan Astle, Stephen Fleming, Hamish Marshall, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Adam Parore, Andre Adams, Shane Bond, Darryl Tuffey (ok I cheated a little with Fleming)

versus the current NZ ODI team...

Maybe NZ cricket should organise a series. If the ICL boys win they could play for NZ again.

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