Nash future clouded by hip injury

Injury-prone New Zealand pace bowler Dion Nash is considering his future in the game as he battles to shrug off a mystery hip problem.

Nash is to undergo a scan next week to try and solve the injury, sustained in the one-day triangular series in Australia in early February.

He said he was frustrated that specialists had so far been unable to provide a diagnosis.

"I can bowl now, but I know things aren't right and I have to know if it's going to be trouble in the future," he said.

"I've learnt the hard way not to push injuries, but I've got to the stage now that if I see another physio I will just about blow up."

Nash, who gave New Zealand's pace attack real bite when combining with Chris Cairns, has played just 35 Tests since his debut 10 years ago during a career plagued by injury, particularly to his back.

"I thought that at 30 I would have had a good career behind me," he said. "But there has been so much disruption, you often wonder whether it's worth carrying on. My aim now is to get fit and find out whether I can carry on. I've got to walk before I can run."

His last Test was against Australia in November, when he broke down with a strained stomach muscle. He had been brought back for that game after a year of back pains.

He has taken 93 Test wickets at 28.48 and averages 23.51 with the bat. He has also taken 64 one-day international wickets.

Nash said he was reluctant to set any goals in the run-up to the World Cup. He will, however, soon be out looking for paid employment as his New Zealand contract expires at the end of May.

"There's so much cricket being played, but you only earn a decent buck if you're playing," he said.

"That's the catch-22 of playing international cricket. You risk the chance of injury by playing so much, but you've got to play to be paid."

Mail Cricket Editor