Oram in doubt for Windies Tour

Jacob Oram is struggling to recover from his bruised heel and is looking like missing the one-day series against the West Indies beginning later this month.

Black Caps general manager Lindsay Crocker has said the selectors will sit down on Wednesday to decide whether Oram will play any part in the series. Crocker followed up with “The question is whether we try to accelerate his recovery to play a part in the one-day series or let him continue his rehab to play a full part in the test series.”

If Oram is forced out, it leaves the Kiwis light in the all-rounders category with Chris Cairns’ recent retirement also playing a part. Chris Harris is the likely replacement, especially for the opening ODI at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium where the pitch is expected to be low and slow.

There is also discussion on the possibility of a warm-up match for the West Indies prior to the opening Twenty20 International on February 16th with a New Zealand XI team being put together from Auckland, Northern Districts and Wellington; the teams who failed to make the State Shield play-offs.