Bond back but trio axed from NZ cricket's top 20

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The red carpet has been predictably rolled out for returning rebel Shane Bond but Scott Styris, Jamie How and Mark Gillespie are fighting for their international futures after being cut from New Zealand Cricket's list of top 20 players.

Bond's return can be seen as a straight swap for the injury-plagued Wellington quick Gillespie, while the likes of Neil Broom, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh have nudged in front of Styris, How and Peter Fulton.

Ranking points are weighted in favour of test candidates, rather than those with limited overs skills, and players are assessed on their predicted Black Caps value for the 12 months ahead.

Back-up gloveman Gareth Hopkins retains his contract ahead of innovator Peter McGlashan while Northern Districts journeyman seamer Brent Arnel is the closest thing to a bolter.

Head selector Glenn Turner said there was little between those squabbling over the last five contracts and hinted that in future separate contracts could be offered for each form of the game.

Styris had hurt his chances by ruling himself out of tests and the 33-year-old's international future now hangs in the balance.

"As far as Scott's concerned, he is the one player that obviously isn't available for test matches so he only gets into one category and you've got to really be playing exceptionally well for you to get in under those circumstances," Turner said.

How missed out to McIntosh after a horror summer.

"McIntosh is still averaging 32 [in test cricket] and Jamie's at 23 and he's had quite a lot of opportunity," Turner said.

"He didn't play his best cricket last year but he just needs to get back and start posting the numbers again for CD. Let's hope that he can get his game sorted so he's pushing again."

Arnel doesn't set pulses racing like Bond does but the 30-year-old has been rewarded for a steady domestic four-day average of 25.74.

"He was [in our thoughts] last season," Turner said. "He was in the 13 at one stage and then got injured, otherwise he might have played one of those tests.

"He was sort of the next cab off the rank as it were. Just through consistent performances he's managed to nudge his way in there."

Bond's tremendous international record (79 test wickets at 22.39 and 125 one-day scalps at 19.32) over-rode any temptation to punish his defection to the ICL, though Turner denied his contract was automatic.

"But he had a very good season in one-day cricket, he was the third top wicket-taker in our domestic stuff so he showed that he could still do it there. I think he's deserved his place."

Another returning rebel, Daryl Tuffey, went close.

"He was obviously talked about a lot ... because he did bowl well in the [four-day domestic] championship last year, really well, he was the second top wicket-taker in that. We'd just like him to prove himself a bit again but he could well get some opportunities."

Nathan McCullum couldn't spin his way into the frame, with Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel the premier options.

The contracts range from $174,000 for the No1-ranked player, likely to be skipper Daniel Vettori, to $72,000 for the 16-20 bracket.

THE CHOSEN ONES

Brent Arnel, Shane Bond, Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Daniel Flynn, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Brendon McCullum, Tim McIntosh, Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori. In the cold: Craig Cumming, Peter Fulton, Mark Gillespie, Jamie How, Peter McGlashan, James Marshall, Michael Mason, Aaron Redmond, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey.

- © Fairfax NZ News