Solution reached to crossover tours problem

A logistical headache in the lead-up to the New Zealand tour of Pakistan appears to have been solved should New Zealand A make the final of the Coromandel King Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad.

New Zealand's tour of Pakistan opens with a warm-up game on Sunday and three of four members of the NZ A team need to be in Karachi on Saturday. The A players who have been selected for the One-Day International series against Pakistan are: Chris Nevin, Jacob Oram, Glen Sulzberger and Lou Vincent.

If the NZ A side loses its quarter-final game tonight, or a semi-final game on Friday, there will be no problem.

To cover the eventuality of NZ A making the final, Test selection Chris Martin will fly to India on Friday morning. That would see him arrive on Saturday for the Sunday match.

If NZ play the semi-final and lose, Martin will carry on to Pakistan arriving before other members of the Test side but having the chance to practice with the ODI side.

New Zealand Cricket's operations manager John Reid said the NZA team had been told that NZC did not want to pull them out of their tournament to solve the logistical problems. They had done so well NZC wanted to see them continue.

"We are flying Test player Chris Martin to India which will give the A team 11 players and the CLEAR Black Caps 12 players for their first warm-up game, as captain Stephen Fleming does not finish his Middlesex commitments until the weekend," Reid said.

"The priority for us has to be the Black Caps."

Of the players who would go to Pakistan, Reid said Nevin had to be one as he is the wicket-keeper and it was likely that Vincent would remain in India because he could also keep wickets.

"It is probably not the solution they want but it is the practical solution to a practical problem," Reid said.