WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Big-hitting batsman Jesse Ryder blew his chance of reviving his international career ahead of the World Cup by pulling out of last month’s New Zealand ‘A’ tour, local media reported yesteday.
Ryder, who was omitted from New Zealand’s provisional squad for the tournament yesterday, had been handed a lifeline when he was named in the ‘A’ team for one-day matches in the United Arab Emirates but later pulled out citing personal reasons.
The 30-year-old lefthander has not played international cricket since being dropped for drinking the night before a test against India in February, the latest in a long line of off-field disciplinary issues.
“We wanted him on the ‘A’ tour to see how he goes around the team and within the group,” Bruce Edgar, the national selection general manager, told the Dominion Post.
“When he pulled out he left us with no real information about him and as a result we didn’t have enough conviction to warrant his selection.
“We weighed it all up and thought we needed to see more. We never got to see enough and as a result we cut him from the 30.”
At his best, Ryder is an explosive batsman capable of taking the game to any attack. He has scored 1,362 runs in 48 ODIs at an average of 33.21 since his debut in 2008.
New Zealand’s squad will be cut to 15 before the start of the World Cup, which the country is co-hosting with Australia from Feb. 14-March 29 next year.
New Zealand squad: Corey Anderson, Hamish Bennett, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Neil Broom, Dean Brownlie, Colin de Grandhomme, Anton Devcich, Grant Elliott, Andrew Ellis, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Roneel Hira, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Rob Nicol, Luke Ronchi, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson
