Kuggeleijn moves into Black Caps mix
Scott Kuggeleijn is a strong chance of becoming a Black Caps one-day international as soon as May, after New Zealand Cricket confirmed there was no obstacle to his selection following his acquittal on a rape charge.
The Northern Districts allrounder was found not guilty by a jury at Hamilton District Court on Friday, and went straight into a Plunket Shield match in Whangarei the next day. He helped skittle Otago in a sharp spell, taking 5-68 yesterday to continue an impressive season and again catch the eyes of the national selectors.
Kuggeleijn, 25, made himself unavailable for New Zealand A against Pakistan in November ahead of his court trial, with NZC saying in a statement that selection in any national team would be ‘‘a significant distraction for him and the game itself’’.
Now that Kuggeleijn has been cleared, NZC said in response to questions yesterday that there was nothing blocking his path into the Black Caps, or New Zealand A for their winter tour at a yet to be confirmed venue.
‘‘Scott will be subject to the same selection criteria as all other contenders,’’ said NZC’s chief executive, David White. If Kuggeleijn is selected, he will be bound by the same team protocols as all players in national squads, White added.
Kuggeleijn could well follow the footsteps of father Chris into the Black Caps in May, in a weakened squad for their one-day international tri-series against Ireland and Bangladesh in the leadup to the Champions Trophy in the UK in June.
It could be even sooner if injuries strike the pace bowling frontliners during the three-test series against South Africa, after Kuggeleijn boosted his first-class season numbers to 23 wickets at an average of 22.13.
The likelihood that six of New Zealand’s leading limited overs bowlers will be late arrivals for that Ireland tri-series, after being excused by NZC till the end of their Indian Premier League commitments, is a significant boost for Kuggeleijn’s selection chances.
Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne and Mitchell McClenaghan - along with Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Corey Anderson - are permitted to remain with their IPL franchises as long as they are required.
The IPL final is scheduled for May 21, while the Black Caps’ first ODI of that triseries is against Ireland on May 14.
‘‘Ideally, we’d like our touring squad to remain together from day one until the end, with the players undergoing the same experiences and being judged and monitored in the same environment,’’ White said. ‘‘The reality is that the IPL has changed all that, through the sheer power of its financial clout.‘‘Don’t force them to choose between cash and country and risk a backlash.’’
With Doug Bracewell out for an extended period due to a knee reconstruction, Ben Wheeler sidelined again with a recurrence of his back problems and Neil Wagner not considered a white ball option at international level, it vaults Kuggeleijn to near the top of the new ball queue along with Wellington’s Hamish Bennett, Central Districts’ Seth Rance and Canterbury pair Kyle Jamieson and Ed Nuttall, injuries permitting.
Kuggeleijn’s fifth five-wicket haul of his first-class career at Cobham Oval highlighted his bowling strengths. Consistently in the 140kmh bracket and capable of hurrying batsmen up and hitting the splice, he returned to clean up the Otago lower order and dismiss them for 276.
In the one-day Ford Trophy, Kuggeleijn was leading competition wicket-taker with 17 at an average of 25 and economy rate of 5.12.
With the bat Kuggeleijn also shone this season to further push his all-round claims. He scored 313 Plunket Shield runs at 34.78; 242 runs at 34.57 and strike rate of 106 in the Ford Trophy, and 107 runs at 53.5 and strike rate of 157 in the Twenty20 Super Smash.
NZC intends to have several players in Ireland ahead of the tri-series, and staying on in a ‘‘camp’’ situation in the UK as cover for the Champions Trophy.