After spending three months on the couch and five more on “extensive rehab”, New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke is ready to return to action from injury in the three-match ODI series in Bangladesh in April. O’Rourke has set his sights on a huge block of Test cricket for New Zealand later in the year, when they will tour Ireland, England and Australia for a total of eight Tests apart from hosting India for two Tests.
“Yeah, it’s very exciting,” O’Rourke said of his prospect of making the squad for those tours after missing the entire New Zealand summer. “Obviously, a lot of Test cricket on and that’s super exciting for us as players and I think also the New Zealand public love that. First of all, [I’m looking to] put a decent performance out in Bangladesh and hopefully push my name forward to England and then the rest of the season hopefully takes care of itself. It is an exciting year ahead and a lot of exciting tours that you’d love to be a part of.”
O’Rourke, who had a bit of a soft launch back into cricket with Canterbury A against Auckland A earlier this month, will put his body through stiffer tests in Bangladesh, whose conditions usually don’t favour pace or bounce, in April.
“I guess not too sure [about the Bangladesh conditions] at the moment,” O’Rourke said. “I think we’ll have those talks over the next couple of weeks and see what’s happening. But Bangladesh have a very good team attack in their own right and they’ve got a lot of good players coming through. I didn’t actually watch too much of the recent series they played against Pakistan, but I’m sure there was a little bit of pace bowled. Hopefully get a few overs in, that’d be nice.”
O’Rourke has not played top-flight cricket since July last year, when he suffered a back injury during the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. His rehab has been managed carefully by New Zealand Cricket since and so far it has been trouble-free, he said. “It’s been a very smooth process. I haven’t had any real setbacks, I think. We started off with an idea of maybe coming back late Feb and maybe the Ford Trophy stuff but no real setbacks, just decided to take it more conservative and get ready and having the main goal be the England Test to try and get back for those.”
During his time away from cricket, O’Rourke has had advise from his Canterbury and Black Caps team-mate Kyle Jamieson on managing his body.
“Everyone knows how good Matt Henry’s been over the last few years and KJ, hopefully coming back to Test cricket, you know what his record’s like. I think he averages in the teens or something (19.73). So yeah, we’ve got a lot of talent in the bowling stocks and if we can go over there fully fit, I think we’ve got a really good chance”
Will O’Rourke on the upcoming away tours
“I had a coffee with KJ pretty early on to when I got injured and he just talked through what he did and his options,” O’Rourke said. “But ultimately it was my decision to do what I wanted to do with the rehab and working closely with the NZC staff and the process has been very smooth, so I’m feeling good.”
While Jamieson is currently with Delhi Capitals at the IPL, he hasn’t played a Test match for New Zealand since February 2024. Having both these beanpole fast bowlers fit and firing for the upcoming away tours could give New Zealand’s attack a cutting edge. New Zealand have never had the opportunity to line up with both of them in a Test match before. The experienced Matt Henry, Nathan Smith and Zak Foulkes lend the depth to New Zealand’s pace attack.
“Yeah, it’s very exciting,” O’Rourke said. “Obviously, Australia’s probably the toughest place in the world to tour and to go over there with good stocks and hopefully all the boys are healthy at that time and we’ve got a really good attack going into it. So I think it’s exciting, the names we have.
Will O’Rourke has 39 wickets in 11 Test matches at an average of 24.28•Getty Images
“Everyone knows how good Matt Henry’s been over the last few years and KJ, hopefully coming back to Test cricket, you know what his record’s like. I think he averages in the teens or something (19.73). So yeah, we’ve got a lot of talent in the bowling stocks and if we can go over there fully fit, I think we’ve got a really good chance.”
When he potentially tours the UK in June, O’Rourke has a chance to connect with his childhood – he was born there to Kiwi parents who had moved for work. He lived there until he was about five and then returned to New Zealand, following his father Patrick O’Rourke‘s footsteps into New Zealand domestic cricket. O’Rourke has also played the T20 Blast in the UK for Yorkshire, but he isn’t attaching any special importance to the England tour.
“I think I’ll take it the same as most Kiwi blokes,” O’Rourke said. “Playing over in Lord’s is pretty special for anyone around the world and I try not to associate myself too much as being a Pom so I try and make myself out to be a Kiwi. Nah, I’m looking forward to the tour as much as any other of the boys are.”
Before that, O’Rourke will have to prove his fitness and form in Bangladesh.
Deivarayan Muthu is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo