Bond treads cautiously on Vaughan's welcome mat

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Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond says he remains interested in a return to international cricket after another barrier was broken down today.

India's powerful BCCI announced it would welcome back players from the Indian Cricket League (ICL) after a one-year "cooling period" if they cut ties with the unsanctioned competition.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Justin Vaughan went a step further and said he would waive the cooling period, thereby opening the way for Bond's immediate return.

Bond, the pace spearhead who played the last of his 17 tests and 67 one-day internationals against South Africa in November 2007, greeted today's news with caution but refused to shut the door on a potential comeback.

"As far as I'm aware, I'm not available for international cricket yet," Bond told the Cricinfo website.

"It will all depend on what is happening with the ICL. At this stage I'm still contracted to them, but if that was to change then I would have to have a look at things.

"I am interested in playing at the top level."

Bond and his former test new ball partner Daryl Tuffey loom as the only realistic candidates to return to the Black Caps, should they cut ties with the troubled ICL.

The tournament's future remains uncertain amid the global financial crisis, with reports of players not receiving payments in recent months.

Bond, 33, recently spoke of his desire to return to first-class cricket next season after his body came through a limited workload in 2008-09 with no recurrence of his ongoing back problems.

"The hardest thing this year is that my season only lasted two months. That was pretty hard work for me, because it wasn't long enough.

"I have been training for five weeks, and actually had my first bowl today, so I'm in pretty good shape.

"I would like to play the (first-class) season. I don't want the big break. That's my intention. But until I learn more about (the BCCI's amnesty), it doesn't really change anything for me at this stage."

New Zealand's next major scheduled tour is to Sri Lanka in August and September.

Vaughan said the BCCI's announcement was a positive move, and NZC would welcome back any players from the ICL.

"Hopefully this will lead to the ICL issue being resolved pretty quickly," he told Cricinfo.

"If there is a mass exodus of players from the ICL, then hopefully we will all be back to being able to field our best teams, and international cricket will return to normality."

BCCI president Shashank Manohar said today's decision was taken after some ICL players "admitted they made a mistake in joining the rebel league".

"The (Indian) players will not be given any international assignment for one year as a punishment. But they can play in domestic competitions with immediate effect," he said.

There are at least 85 Indian and 60 foreign players aligned with the ICL, which is bankrolled by India's largest listed media company, Zee Telefilms and headed by the country's lone World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev.

The ICL organised two tournaments in 2008, but their next edition in March this year was cut short due to security concerns following the Mumbai attacks. A fresh tournament was being planned for October.

- NZPA