Cairns looking to Australian tour

AUCKLAND, NZ - All eyes are on star all-rounder Chris Cairns as the New Zealand cricket selectors consider their Test squad for the tour of Australia.

With the tour of Pakistan almost certain to be cancelled in the coming days, Sir Richard Hadlee's panel is faced with re-selecting the squad for Australia within the next three weeks.

That would allow the players time to prepare for a build-up which could begin as early as October 23, and a touring schedule which starts in Brisbane on November 1.

Cairns hasn't played for New Zealand in nearly a year - going back a one-day international against South Africa last November - but was poised to create the biggest re-shuffle in the squad picked for the aborted Pakistan tour.

The 31-year-old was on the recovery trail after undergoing surgery to relieve a patella tendonitis problem in his right knee and was showing encouraging signs of being available for the Australian series.

NZC fitness adviser Warren Frost said today Cairns was making steady progress towards a full recovery and was hopeful he would be available for selection.

"Our goal is to try to have him right for Australia but we wouldn't let that goal over-ride the player's best interests," Frost said.

"At the moment Chris is 'smashing' his leg, which involves working hard on his strength. Three times a week he's bowling about eight overs off half a run-up, and he's now running on grass as opposed to the gymnasium treadmill."

The only other lingering question is whether Hadlee's panel will again overlook batsman Matt Horne, whose 29-Test career has so far realised four centuries, including an innings of 133 in the third Test at Hobart in 1997-98.

Horne struggled in his most recent Test against Zimbabwe in Wellington in December, when he compiled one and nought.

He had a successful tour of India with New Zealand A, and can point to some reasonable success in the international arena and a first-class average of 41.