Paceman Bond ruled out for Kiwis

MUMBAI: Injury-prone paceman Shane Bond will miss New Zealand’s opening match with South Africa because of stiffness and restriction of movement in his back. The 31-year-old, who was sidelined for over two years by a stress fracture of the back, reported the problem after a practice match on Friday.
"We think it’s prudent to let him try to fully recover," a spokesman said. South Africa include Herschelle Gibbs, who was questioned by police last week over a match-fixing case. It will be the first time Gibbs has played an international match in India since 2000, when his name was first mentioned in the scandal that led to Hansie Cronje’s lifetime ban. Gibbs, who was banned by South African authorities for six months after admitting under-performing under Cronje’s influence, has opted out of two Indian tours since. Delhi police ruled out his immediate arrest after the latest questioning, but he remains in their investigations. Skipper Graeme Smith and key all-rounder Jaques Kallis bolster the South Africans, who pulled out of a triangular series in Sri Lanka because of a bomb blast in Colombo. They arranged some practice in the form of a one-sided home series against Zimbabwe in September, which they won 3-0. New Zealand have not played one-day cricket since early March, when they completed a 4-1 home success against West Indies. "We’ve no excuses to offer in terms of how much we have or haven’t played," coach John Bracewell said. "It’s the nature of modern cricket, there are quiet periods and busy periods." All-rounder Scott Styris is another fitness concern after retiring hurt from a practice match with a sore hamstring. Skipper Stephen Fleming admitted that he would miss his strike bowler. "It is not good news before a big game," he said. "All we try to do with Shane is be conservative, we’re looking not at just this tournament but the tournaments down the track, in particular the World Cup. "That’s the long-term aim, which is part of the reason why he’s not playing in this match." Fleming called on the experienced Nathan Astle, who has scored 16 centuries and 40 fifties in his 216 one-day internationals, to play an influential role in the tournament.
"He wins games when he scores runs," Fleming said of the 35-year-old, who spent the English summer playing county cricket with Lancashire. "To have him firing is probably the most important thing. With the ball he can be pretty handy, especially in the middle overs and pitches we’ve seen bring the slower bowlers into play."