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| March 14, 2003 | Friday | Muharram 10, 1424 |
Cairns holds key for Kiwis today
JOHANNESBURG, March 13: Chris Cairns faced up to the fact on Thursday that his international career could be in its final hours if New Zealand fail to beat India in their last Super Six match on Friday.
Widely-regarded as the best all-rounder in the world at the moment, Cairns needs to get through his full 10 overs as well as contribute with the bat against India to secure a victory which will put them in the semifinals of the World Cup.
Defeat against Saurav Ganguly’s team would leave the Black Caps relying on Sri Lanka losing to Zimbabwe on Saturday if they are to join defending champions Australia, India and Kenya in the last four.
In seven matches at the World Cup, the 32-year-old Cairns has bowled just eight overs with his best performance coming against Zimbabwe in Bloemfontein last Saturday when his 2-16, as well as his 54 runs, contributed towards a six-wicket win.
Crucially, however, he didn’t bowl at all in the 96-run defeat to Australia in Port Elizabeth as efforts continued to protect his suspect knees and back which had prevented him bowling for a year until the game against the West Indies on Feb 13.
It was a disaster as his one over in that match cost 21 runs.
“It is always easier to bat than bowl when you have been away so long,” said Cairns who has had an eventful World Cup both on and off the field.
He was fined after getting involved in a Durban nightclub rumpus on the night the team should have been in Nairobi had they not forfeited their game with Kenya.
“I enjoy being in the game the whole time. So it has been frustrating. I will be looking to bowl on Friday.
“I am still underdone but it’s a confidence thing. If you get a couple of wickets under your belt, it can lift you.”
After a long lay-off, Cairns returned to the Black Caps squad for the final three one-dayers against India in January but only as a batsman.
That was the role he was handed in the opening defeat here against Sri Lanka, when he made 32.
He then made a valuable 37 in the win against the West Indies and played a major role in running out dangerman Brian Lara by picking up Lou Vincent’s throw from the boundary and then breaking the stumps from long distance.
Cairns didn’t bowl at all in the win over South Africa but turned his arm for 0-17 off three overs in the win over Bangladesh while continuing to hit valuable middle-order runs.
Batting has always come easy.
In 1998-99, he hit a 75-ball century with six sixes against India, the fastest ever by a New Zealander. For good measure he also chipped in with three wickets.
Since his debut against England in Wellington in 1990-91, Cairns has played 161 matches notching up 3,866 runs, taking 156 wickets and with a habit of coming good at the right time.
At the 1999 World Cup in England, he played after shaking off a calf injury and took 12 wickets as his side reached the semifinals where he hit an unbeaten 44 in the defeat to Pakistan.—AFP
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