Double international Jeff Wilson sets sights on cricket career

A mood of quiet expectation settled over New Zealand cricket circles today when All Black Jeff Wilson's unexpected announcement that he is forsaking his outstanding rugby career in order to pursue his incomplete cricket career.

Wilson, who played for his Super 12 Highlanders side in last night's semi-final against the Crusaders in Christchurch, announced at a press conference today that he was retiring from rugby.

His has been a prolific career which saw him play in 60 Tests from the time of his debut in 1993 until his last Test against South Africa last year. He is the holder of the New Zealand Test try scoring record having touched down 44 times. He scored 234 points in total for the All Blacks.

Before he became an All Black however, Wilson was a member of the New Zealand one-day team and played a significant role in its 1993 victory over Australia in Hamilton when scoring 44 not out as New Zealand scored 250/7 to beat Australia by three wickets in a thrilling match.

He had already starred for his Otago side with some hard-hitting but technically correct innings and had a highest score of 99. He played 26 first-class matches for Otago between 1991/92 and 1996/97 and had 93 wickets at an average of 22.32.

The chairman of New Zealand's cricket selectors, Sir Richard Hadlee said today he had been surprised by the news when hearing it on the radio this morning.

"We are quietly optimistic that he can come through and we would welcome that.

"But there is a process for him to go through. Nine years is a long time to be out of international cricket. He will need to get his body back into cricket shape, which is different to rugby shape.

"He will need to signal his interests to Otago Cricket and to coach Glenn Turner.

But anything New Zealand Cricket can do to assist him in the development of his game will receive a positive response.

"Tours at the moment are totally out of the question. That would be unfair to other players.

"But we will watch his progress because he has four facets to his game: batting, bowling, fielding and attitude, and those sorts of multi-skilled cricketers are hard to find anywhere," Hadlee said.

However, having just lost a player from that classification, Dion Nash, it would be no surprise if Hadlee and his fellow selectors were hoping that Wilson could complete his turnaround as quickly as possible.

"I don't know what pre-empted his decision but it adds more interest to next season.

"There was some talk a year ago that he might come back and we were very keen to have him involved at that stage, two years out from the World Cup. But we are only a year out now and we have nothing to analyse him on," he said.

New Zealand Rugby Football Union chief executive officer David Rutherford said New Zealand rugby would be the poorer without Wilson.

"Jeff Wilson was a naturally gifted player who made a huge contribution to the game for such a long time and it is sad for rugby that he has decided to retire. Rugby fans around the country would acknowledge that he is still at the peak of his form," Rutherford said.

"However, we respect his decision to pursue the other love of his life, cricket, and admire the fact that he wants to fully commit himself to it. Anything less than 100 percent commitment would not be Jeff Wilson.

"It is great that he will continue to be involved in New Zealand sport and that his talents won't be lost to the country."

Rutherford also paid tribute to Wilson for his loyalty to New Zealand rugby at a crucial time in its history.

"Jeff Wilson was loyal to New Zealand rugby in some of its toughest times and we thank him for that," he said in a reference to the bitter days when rugby turned professional and there was a chance that many All Blacks were to be involved in an off-shore competition, rather than standing by the New Zealand organisation.

Wilson and fellow Otago player Josh Kronfeld were the first two players to signal their allegiance to New Zealand.