NZ: Morrison overlooked (3 Oct 1997)

Friday, October 03, 1997

Morrison out of favour

by John Coffey

Danny Morrison will have plenty of time to promote his book at home while his former New Zealand cricket team-mates are touring Australia from later this month.

The former test fast bowler was given no cause to hope for a recall when "The Press" yesterday asked chairman of selectors Ross Dykes why Morrison did not feature in his plans.

He wasn't doing the job. -- Ross Dykes chairman of selectors

Morrison was dropped after the first test against England at Auckland in January. At 31, his career appears to have closed with 48 test and 96 one-day appearances.

"He was left out of the side against England last season because he wasn't doing the job required of him," explained Dykes from Auckland yesterday.

"His replacements bowled more than adequately, and since the end of the season Danny has played no cricket, nor has he been in training to allow us to even consider him again."

Dykes said he tried to contact Morrison when Andrew Penn broke down towards the end of the New Zealand Academy XI's tour of South Africa. The call, however, was not for Morrison to replace Penn in the team for Kenya and Zimbabwe, but to cover all options.

Morrison, however, was overseas at the time. The selectors, Dykes, Rick Pickard, and Mike Shrimpton, chose young David Sewell, from Otago. "Sewell was playing cricket in South Africa with the Academy team, and he went straight from there to Zimbabwe. He was playing cricket and was cricket-fit," said Dykes.

Dykes and his co-selectors name the 14-man squad for the Australian tour on October 13, and face the prospect of dropping four from the current 15-man touring party to make way for medium-fast bowlers Geoff Allott and Simon Doull and opening batsman Bryan Young.

"Their experience will be invaluable. We are hoping that Doull will be available after a week at the high performance centre at Lincoln under Dayle Hadlee and the medical staff," said Dykes.

If the returns of Allott and Doull were not enough, Dykes further dimmed Morrison's hopes by expressing continued faith in deposed test bowler Heath Davis.

"I know Steve (Rixon, NZ coach) is keen to get Heath back on track, and he had to make the judgment whether that was better achieved on the field or in the nets," said Dykes.

"Heath can't be one of the top three bowlers at the end of last season and then drop out of sight. It's a confidence thing."

All-rounder Chris Harris's long quest for permanent national selection seems to have been successful.

"Harris has really staked his claim," said Dykes. "Chris has put his hand up and said 'pick me' for that spot, and it will be hard not to."

Source :: The Canterbury Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)