WELLINGTON: Aggressive top-order batsman Jesse Ryder was passionate about rekindling his international career after he was thrown a World Cup lifeline by being named in a New Zealand ‘A’ team for one-day matches in the UAE next month.

Ryder, 30, has been kept out of the national side after he broke team protocols by drinking the night before a Test against India in February, the latest in a long line of off-field disciplinary issues for the burly left-hander.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said last week Ryder needed to show form on the field and a willingness to play by the team’s rules off it before being considered for the top team again, something Ryder said he was willing to do.

“The passion’s still there to make the team,” Ryder told reporters in Hamilton on Friday. “If I didn’t I wouldn’t be in the ‘A’ team so it’s definitely something I want.

“It’s just a stepping stone isn’t it? Hopefully it’s a good one for me.

“I’ll go over there and just do what I need to do to show that I’m still keen to be a part of it.

“It’s just about slowly getting back involved and stuff like that - and obviously this is the first stepping stone towards it.”

Ryder, who had a successful limited overs county season in England earlier this year, said his fitness was not up to the standard he had hoped but that was something else he would work on before the team leaves for Dubai.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2014