NZ names team for Pakistan match

IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press

BACK IN WHITE: Shane Bond bowls during a Plunket Shield cricket match between the Canterbury Wizards and the Otago Volts at Mainpower Oval, in Rangiora.

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Shane Bond's return from Indian Cricket League exile is complete while fellow Twenty20 rebel Daryl Tuffey is in contention for his first test in more than five years after being included in New Zealand's 13-man squad to play Pakistan in Dunedin next week.

Peter Fulton and Grant Elliott inherit the task of providing solidity to a batting line-up prone to collapse when New Zealand's three-test cricket series starts on Tuesday.

Statistically it appears to be a tall order for the duo who were today named to fill the void left by an injured Jesse Ryder and Jacob Oram, who has retired from the test format.

Both were last sighted at test level in Australia a year ago when New Zealand were soundly beaten in Brisbane and Adelaide.

Fulton's averages 24.72 from eight tests, a 75 against the West Indies at Wellington in March, 2006, a rare highlight.

He is a straight swap for Ryder, undoubtedly the in-form specialist batsmen of last summer.

South African-born Elliott, a surprise choice for test duty in the home series against England in 2006, has subsequently fashioned a career as a one-day player.

A reliable innings' closer, Elliott's test record reads a paltry 27 runs in five innings at 6.75 and a highest score of nine after tests against England, English, Bangladesh and Australia.

He was a near-selection certainty after James Franklin's knee troubles flared during an Invitation 11's three-day tour match against Pakistan which ended in Queenstown today.

Fulton at least appears to be in form and probably owes his selection to a timely double of 172 and 77 for Canterbury this week against Otago in the latest round of the Plunket Shield.

Selector Mark Greatbatch said the pair's assignment was simple - supply the starch around the strokeplayers.

"They're quite solid sorts of players and maybe that's the glue we're looking for to solid up our batting unit in between the quite exciting strokeplay we have," he said.

Tim McIntosh, who crafted an unbeaten 131 against the tourists today, and Daniel Flynn, who banked 49 and 56 against a second-string Pakistan attack, also assume that responsibility to free up Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor.

Franklin's unavailability rules out any left-arm variation in the pace attack although the allrounder's absence has been balanced by Shane Bond's long-awaited return to test cricket and Daryl Tuffey's inclusion in the 13-man squad.

Bond was pencilled in for his first test cap since November, 2007, in South Africa after bowling 40 trouble-free overs against Otago while Tuffey's perseverance in Queenstown sealed his selection ahead of Tim Southee, who was again a touch below optimum pace in his later spells.

Bond and Chris Martin are to share the new ball, leaving Tuffey and Iain O'Brien to battle for the spare berth, a continuation of their duel in Sri Lanka in August.

While O'Brien is the incumbent, Tuffey's track record against Pakistan - 24 wickets in six tests at 26.50 - at caught the selectors' eyes.

Tuffey, like Bond, an Indian Cricket League renegade, played the last of his 22 tests in 2004 but he has also made an impressive return to the limited overs side since cutting ties with the rebel Twenty20 competition.

"Tuffers and Bondy are like new kids really," Greatbatch said.

"They're very excited about being back in and playing test cricket. They add good depth to our seam stable."

Bond made his international comeback in the Twenty20 and one-day component of the tour to Sri Lanka and his place was assured after he completed a match analysis of six for 148 in Rangiora today, his first four-day game since June last year.

"There's been a bit of planning going on with Bondy," Greatbatch said.

"He's done a bit overseas with his workloads to see how his body's feeling. He wanted to cap it off with this four-dayer and he's come through very well."

Offspinner Jeetan Patel has also been named as the squad cover the first two tests of the three-match series.

He is not likely to be required in Dunedin but might come into calculations when the second test is held at Wellington's Basin Reserve starting on December 3.

Black Caps: Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, Grant Elliott, Daniel Flynn, Peter Fulton, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Tim McIntosh, Iain O'Brien, Jeetan Patel, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey.

- NZPA