Adam Milne can't wait to get back on the park for the BLACKCAPS.
The 23-year-old fast bowler from the Devon Hotel Central Stags, who hasn't played since being ruled out of the ICC Cricket World Cup with a heel injury, is back to full fitness and in the squad for the impending tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The first New Zealand bowler to reach speeds of 150 km per hour on a consistent basis since Shane Bond, Milne says this limited overs tour is an important one for him personally.
“It is just good to be back in the mix really,” he said from his home in Palmerston North. “This is an important tour for me especially after the disappointment of the World Cup. I want to use this tour to get back into some of my best form and show why I am valuable to this team and why I was picked in the World Cup. I can’t wait to play again.”
Milne says it was hard to stay positive after a frustrating period of injury that saw him ruled out of the final stages of the Cricket World Cup, then the Indian Premier League and the BLACKCAPS' England Tour.
“It’s been tough. When I felt I was making progress with the injury, it would flare up again and I would have more pain and more setbacks. It has been frustrating to say the least.”
Having played 22 One-Day Internationals at an economy rate of 5.11, he is hopeful that his injury troubles are behind him as he presses for a regular spot in the starting XI. "I didn’t end the Cricket World Cup the way that I wanted to, but that is cricket. You have to take it as it comes and I am hopeful that the injury is behind me now and I can look forward to a good amount of time in the team and showing what I can do.”
Milne travelled to the IPL to take up his debut contract with the Royal Challengers Bangalore, but he was still suffering discomfort in his heel. He thought that two weeks without training and a lighter training load would help him get back to full fitness. “Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. It was really frustrating being over there and not being able to take a cool opportunity like playing in the IPL. Hopefully I get another chance next year.”
Loking ahead to Africa, Milne says there is no reason why the BLACKCAPS cannot win the series without four regular players in captain Brendon McCullum, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Corey Anderson. “We went to United Arab Emirates last year without Baz, Timmy and Boulty and went well there against a good Pakistan side, so there is no reason why this team can’t carry on being competitive and winning away from home without some of the big players.”
Since coming home, Milne has been able to get back to full fitness. Over the past three to four weeks he has been bowling in the nets without any pain. Now, he is looking to get his conditioning back.
“I've been able to get back up to a full run and full pace so at the moment I am working on my rhythm. My body has been a bit sore and stiff getting back into it, but I am getting better [condition-wise] every time I bowl. I am happy with how it is coming out of my hand so it’s just a matter of getting back into playing.”
Formerly a promising football rep who claimed a Chatham Cup winner’s medal with Wairarapa United, Milne is excited about being on tour with all the boys again, some of whom he hasn’t seen since the World Cup. And, he is hoping to be part of more “awesome games” like the semi-final of the Cricket World Cup against South Africa.
“They are a world class side, and will be very hard to beat in their own conditions. They have players like AB De Villiers and Dale Steyn and have world class players throughout their team. I am sure all of the guys are looking forward to that challenge.”
First stop on the tour expedition is Harare where the BLACKCAPS will play Zimbabwe in three ODIs and a T20i.
“They are a team that you never want to underestimate. They will be pretty competitive in their own conditions,and we know that they can be equally as lethal as some of the best sides in the world when they play to their best. The boys know that we’ll have to be at our best to get a result there.”
