Desperate to prolong his ODI and Twenty20 career, injury-ravaged New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram says he is willing to give up Test cricket as his body can no longer withstand the fitness demands for all three formats of the game.
"At the moment, with what I do, I know it's not sustainable. I am 30, and I have the passion and desire to play well into my mid-30s, but to be honest, with the way things have been going, that is not going to happen unless something gives," he said.
"I have talked to people about giving up bowling, or bowling in as few forms of the game as possible. I haven't talked about this publicly before, but if I had to choose one thing, I would probably give up Test cricket before bowling," Oram told Cricinfo.
"I have played eight years of international cricket and being an allrounder is part of who I am. To give up the bowling - it's just not me, not what I do. I think it would be giving up Tests before I gave up being an allrounder."
Oram said he has spoken to his close confidantes on the matter and has been advised to consider reducing bowling workload or bid adieu to Tests.
"I love playing Test cricket. That said, when you speak to your friends and family about your situation, it seems pretty obvious to them: you'll either have to give up Test cricket, or greatly reduce your bowling workload.
"In Test cricket, I would be looking to bowl 15-20 overs a day. I might be able to get through one or two Tests, or even string it out for a series, but the chances are that it won't last for any great length of time," Oram, who is playing for Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League, said.
The all-rounder, however, refused to set a date for taking a decision on his Test career.
"I don't know when I will have to make that decision. It could be in six months, 12 months or two years. I would love to keep going as an allrounder in all forms of the game, but I realise that's a bit of a double-edged sword.
"If I was to do so, I would pretty much halve the time I have left in the game. And, from recent experience, I can say that sitting on the sidelines for several months a year watching your team-mates play is mentally and emotionally draining," he said.
Oram, who missed the recent Test series against India with an Achilles injury, said rotating the players was the only solution to the issue of burnouts and frequent injuries.
"The obvious answer is to cut down on games, but it's hard to see that happening. Maybe there needs to be more rotating of allrounders and fast bowlers - leaving them out of certain series, or something like that.
