The New Zealander was the big news of the day. He has been ruled out for Monday’s match against SA.
MUMBAI: It took a ‘Bond’ to steal the thunder from Herschelle Gibbs. Ever since the South African set foot in India for the Champions Trophy, he has been the lead story.
But on Sunday, the biggest news came from the New Zealand camp with the announcement that their strike bowler and star-attraction Shane Bond will not feature in their opening match of the tournament against South Africa at the Brabourne Stadium here on Monday.
Unlike his super-fit fictional namesake, Bond has been known to have these breakdowns. He was returning to the squad for the Champions Trophy after a long injury lay-off, suffering from a back problem.
And the bad back has returned to haunt him sooner than he would have liked. The Kiwi paceman developed stiffness in his back during a practice game against Baroda on Friday. However, the team officials said the injury was not serious and Bond might be available for their game on Friday against Sri Lanka.
Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, said that Bond’s injury was a big disappointment to the team but the other players were up for the challenge. “We are coming in to this tournament fresh. The players are up for the challenge,” he said. The Kiwis have another concern in all-rounder Scott Styris, who is suffering from a hamstring problem, but will be in contention for a place in the side on Monday.
New Zealand last played an ODI in March against the West Indies. While Fleming admitted that such a long lay-off keeps the players fresh, they do miss out on the competitive edge of an international game. “We have to pick up that edge really soon. So the first game against South Africa is really important to us.”
Meanwhile, Gibbs-talk was once again taboo from the South African camp. Graeme Smith, South African captain, said his team was confident of a good show against the Kiwis. When questioned on whether hot and humid conditions would cause a problem for the team, he said, “We have been here for the last 8-9 days and I think we have acclimatised well.”
While the opening combination of Gibbs and Smith is going to be key for the South Africans, it’ll be the birthday boy Jacques Kallis who would look to celebrate the day with a sizzling knock at the Brabourne. Kallis turns 31 on Monday.
The pitch for the game is different from the one used for the West Indies-Sri Lanka game. The wicket should be a good one for batting and the Brabourne crowd can expect a few more runs than the paltry 80 that West Indies managed.
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