Nash slams domestic ban, battles to get fit
From The NZ Herald/Reuters, 18 April 2002

Injury-prone New Zealand bowler Dion Nash has accused New Zealand Cricket of wrecking his chances of staying fit by suspending him for three weeks in the middle of the domestic season.

Nash is slowly recovering from a mystery hip injury he sustained while batting against South Africa in the final of the triangular one-day tournament in Australia in February.

The bowler will have a scan next week in an attempt to discover the extent of the injury that kept him out of the recent series against England.

"It has been very frustrating," Nash said on Thursday. "Probably one of the most frustrating things was being suspended at a time when I should have been bowling.

"I missed three weeks over Christmas when I believe I would have peaked and been fit for the Australian series.

"As it was, I was thrown in at the deep end in Australia while not perfectly fit. The suspension has turned out to be more than simple a three week ban," he said.

Nash had already been knocked out of the full Australian tour when he injured a stomach muscle in the first test in Brisbane and his hip problem was another setback to a bowler whose promising career has been plagued by injury.

His back had given him regular trouble for four years, but after a triangular tournament in Sri Lanka last year he came through unscathed.

Nash was getting back to fitness from the stomach strain when NZC slapped the ban on him for abusing an umpire and an opposing batsman while playing a first class game against Otago for his Auckland province just before Christmas.

NZC had begun a much-publicised drive to clean up the game and the combative Nash was the first high profile player to be punished.

"They used my profile to set an example and I feel I was treated a bit unfairly because of other things that went on after that," Nash said.

"They made their decision and my humble opinion wouldn't persuade them they were wrong."

John Reid, the development manager for NZC, said that Nash "well and truly overstepped the mark and NZC stands by its decision".

"The suspension that was handed down was done so from an independent commissioner and the procedure was completely transparent."

At the time of the suspension there was talk that Nash's chance of making the New Zealand one-day team would be compromised, but he had always been an influential player and was picked despite missing a series of domestic one-day matches, Reid said.

"That Dion Nash was going to Australia does not detract from the fact that he breached the NZC code of conduct and like any player was required to carry out his suspension. As far as NZC is concerned, it is a non-issue," Reid added.

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