CricketViewer.com

Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, has said that Shane Bond will play in the Super Eights match against Ireland in Guyana on Monday (today).

Fleming believes that resting Bond while he is in excellent bowling form could have counter-productive effects.

“He’ll (Bond) definitely play,” Fleming told NZPA. “It’s important we get two points against Ireland, we’ll pick our strongest side,” he added.

Bond was rested for the final group-stage match against Canada but played both the first two Super Eights matches against West Indies and Bangladesh. He has taken eight wickets in four matches in the World Cup at an economy-rate of 2.29.

“I hope to play every game, I prepare myself to play every game,” said Bond. “I’ve sat out enough games through injury so I never like to be rested,” he added.

New Zealand’s strongest side against Ireland is unlikely to include Ross Taylor who was unable to run at full pace during a training session on Saturday. Taylor strained his hamstring during his half-century against Kenya in the group stages.

Taylor had said that his chances of playing Ireland were 70-30 but Fleming was less optimistic.

“Ross has been a little bit ginger in terms of his movement,” said Fleming. “If he’s not quite right we’ll probably be conservative but we’re pushing as hard as we can to get him right as quickly as possible. We want him back into cricket, back into the fold. He’s been out of cricket for a while if he misses this one,” he added.

New Zealand have three crunch games coming up against Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia and Fleming asserted that rotating the players and tinkering with the starting XI would be kept to a minimum.

“It’s important there’s continuity of selection. I’ve been involved in World Cups where we’ve chopped and changed probably a little too much,” said Fleming. “I made a point at the start [of the tournament] with (coach) John (Bracewell) that my view was always going to be conservative. If you’ve got 11 or 12 guys doing well you keep that going as long as possible,” he explained.

Fast bowler Michael Mason was ruled out of the Ireland match after sustaining a calf-strain against Bangladesh. Either Chris Martin or Mark Gillespie would take his spot in the starting XI on Monday (today).

Source:The News