'Bowing out the right decision' - Jacob Oram

THE PRESS

TIME TO PULL STUMPS: Jacob Oram has called time on his test career.

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Central Districts cricket personalities have said Jacob Oram's decision to retire from test cricket is the right one if he is to stay in the game.

The 31-year-old made the announcement at a press conference in Christchurch yesterday, confirming recent speculation about his playing future in the longest form of the game.

He said he will now focus his attention on one-day and Twenty20 cricket for New Zealand.

Former Manawatu rep coach Gary Cunningham said playing limited-overs cricket was the right choice for the big all-rounder.

"I think it's a logical conclusion to be fair," he said.

"If you look at the last three or four test series Jake has played, I don't think he's come through any of them."

Cunningham didn't want to say whether Oram was best suited to the one-day and Twenty20 formats as opposed to test matches.

"Well I don't know about that. Jake has always had a huge desire to play test cricket for New Zealand and he hasn't lost that desire at all.

"Can he play the one-day game? Yes he can. But he can certainly play test cricket, too."

It appears the busy international schedule on top of Indian Premier League commitments, where he has a US$675,000 (NZ$930,000) contract with the Chennai Super Kings, became too much for Oram's body to handle.

Cunningham said the 1.98-metre tall left-handed batter copped too much stick for his numerous breakdowns in recent times.

"I think from my point of view, people have not taken the time to understand the actual want and desire that Jake has in his cricket and I think he has been unfairly criticised."

Central Districts chief executive Blair Furlong said it was sad to see Oram leave the test match arena.

"It's disappointing but I can understand," he said.

"He's a big man. He's trucked his body around ... He used to be a slow medium bowler and they turned him into a fast bowler."

Speaking from Nelson yesterday, Furlong said he didn't know what the announcement meant for CD and whether Oram would be available for domestic four-day cricket.

"We will contact Jake to see what it means for us.

"We'd be delighted if he wanted to continue in the longer form of the game for us."

CD play four-day matches before the domestic one-dayers and Twenty20 matches begin this season.

Alec Astle, who coached Oram at Palmerston North Boys' High School, said it was great to see he wasn't completely lost to the game.

"It's a shame in some ways but I suppose he's being realistic in terms of what he can deal with," he said.

"When I had him at school, I told him I wouldn't let him bowl until seventh form because I said, `if you damage your back, it's all over'."

Oram said the 2011 World Cup was his main focus.

"The last few years have shown that my body cannot handle the strains and stresses that come with being an all-rounder, playing all three formats for up to 10 months a year," he said.

"For the sake of longevity I have had to make a decision that will decrease my workload, so I can concentrate all my efforts on the shorter forms of the game.

"The opportunity to spend more time at home with my family including my first child, due next month, is also a major reason for deciding to pull back on playing commitments and time away from home."

- © Fairfax NZ News