by Shreyas S. Bhide
Ahead of the much awaited New Zealand-Australia test series, the news of New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder taking ill has shocked the Kiwi side.
Even as his side played against The New South Wales in a practice match at the SCG, Ryder stayed put in his hotel room on day two. New Zealand manager Lindsay Crocker said there were concerns for Ryder’s health as he hadn’t kept down any food for nearly two days. He was attended to by the doctor on duty at the SCG who said the illness should be treated as viral and recommended he be quarantined from his teammates and placed on a drip to rehydrate. Ryder was vomiting before and after his 51-minute innings of 16 against NSW on day one of the practice match. New Zealand’s allrounder Grant Elliot played substitute to Ryder on field. Although Ryder’s illness didn’t yet place him in doubt for Thursday’s first test against Australia in Brisbane, Crocker said there would be major worries if the symptoms continued through the weekend. The Kiwis were dismissed for 266 and 256 in the six-wicket loss to New South Wales and their preparations were hurt further with foot and back injuries to the wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum. McCullum though was cleared of any foot fracture and is tipped to be fit for the first test.
If Ryder has to miss the first test match against the Aussies at the Gabba, the team may have to undergo major changes. New Zealand coach John Bracewell has already hinted last-minute call-ups for Peter Fulton and Gareth Hopkins for Thursday’s first Test against Australia. Peter Fulton joined the squad for the duration of the tour on Monday, while Gareth Hopkins also arrived on Monday as an emergency squad member.
Fresh from the recent Bangladesh tour where he amassed an impressive 169 runs at an average of 56.33. If the southpaw misses the first test match, it will not only be a personal loss to the batsman, but to the Kiwi team as well, considering his terrific form of late. A pretty useful seamer and a hardhitting batsman Ryder averages 56.33 in his test career spanning just two tests against minnows Bangladesh. More than his on-field skills, its his off-field antics that he makes more news about. Ryder’s troubled upbringing and weight issues have been well documented. Last year, he refused to attend a 30-men training camp for being overlooked time and again despite his brilliant showing on the domestic circuit. Later in January 2008, he was picked for the England tour and impressed with 196 runs at an average of 49 in the five ODIs against England but ruined his chances of a trip for the return series by putting a hand through a glass window, apparently because he was drunk. The action came down for heavy criticism in New Zealand cricket circles, made noises where it mattered the most and Ryder was expected to be out of the squad for atleast three months. However, the selectors showed faith in him and selected him in New Zealand’s one-day squad for their tour of England, but Ryder again got himself injured and had to go through the series warming the benches.
Despite this, the New Zealand team will probably miss him for one basic reason and that is - he is a talented cricketer. An average of around 37 and a strike rate of 84.29 in ODI’s and a massive strike rate of 100 in International T20’s speaks volumes of his talent. Kiwi skipper Vettori will be hoping that Ryder gets well in time for the first test, as he will be of utmost importance to counter the mighty Aussies on the decline.
