Cairns' return will have to wait until Australian tour

All-rounder Chris Cairns' return to the CLEAR Black Caps will have to wait until New Zealand's tour of Australia in October-November.

Cairns, who has been recuperating from knee surgery in South Africa, has returned to New Zealand and announced that while his recovery is going well he will not be ready in time for the tour of Pakistan.

Had the One-Day Internationals been at the end of the tour he would have been available for those but as they are at the start it was too soon in his recovery build-up.

New Zealand Cricket's fitness advisor Warren Frost said today: "Chris' rehabilitation is progressing well. He has begun running and will soon begin sports specific exercising including bowling."

Rather than try to recover from his surgery to the patella tendon of his right knee in the cold of a New Zealand winter, Cairns took advantage of an opportunity to recuperate in South Africa.

It was a wise move as it turned out, as New Zealand has endured one of its coldest winters for several years.

While Cairns' absence at any time is a blow to the New Zealand side, the team travels to Pakistan knowing that it managed to beat the Pakistanis earlier this year.

His absence represents another chance for a New Zealand bowler to gain international experience. The New Zealand side for the tour to Pakistan is to be announced next week.

Cairns will be continuing his programme at New Zealand Cricket's High Performance Centre at Lincoln University.