Oh, for Jacob Oram on field with Black Caps

Reuters

ORLY? Jacob Oram during their third one day international cricket match against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

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Admirable toiler that Grant Elliott is, it has still been hard to watch him playing against Pakistan and not pine for Jacob Oram.

Notwithstanding the two wickets in two balls he took on Saturday, Elliott's performances in New Zealand's first two tests of the season have been distinctly underwhelming.

Oram might not have saved them at the Basin Reserve, but what would the national selectors give right now to have a player of his class – and record of 1780 runs at 36.34 and 60 wickets at 33.05 – at No 6?

It does make you wonder why folk were so hard on Oram in the days when he was available for test cricket.

Now restricting himself to a diet of limited-overs stuff, the 31-year-old said he was happily divorced from the travails of the test team.

"I've had plenty of other things going on – with a young son being born – so I haven't missed it one bit, to be honest," Oram said ahead of his appearance today for Central Districts against Canterbury.

"I missed the Dunedin test but didn't miss one thing about the Wellington test. Especially when they took that last wicket in Dunedin there was a pang of regret, but it only lasted a fleeting second because there was plenty going on for me with the family.

"I still firmly stand behind my reasons for retiring [from test cricket]."

As a new father, Oram said he could understand former team-mate Iain O'Brien's decision to pull stumps on his international career to start a family. He felt O'Brien's imminent departure to live in England would leave "a massive hole" in the side.

"... he's one of those guys who's a real workhorse and you know what you're going to get from him every time," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News