Ronchi will open if asked

Luke Ronchi, the New Zealand wicketkeeper batsman, will continue opening the batting if asked, but does not consider it the best position for him in international cricket. Ronchi currently opens for his domestic side of Wellington, but has played the same role in the past for Western Australia and Mumbai Indians.

Ronchi made his New Zealand debut against England on May 31 at Lords with a three-ball duck, and underwent a torrid re-initiation as an opener. In six innings, the longest of which lasted only 17 balls, he bagged four single-digit scores.

"After the first game, I just started thinking things that I didn't need to think [about]," Ronchi said. "That's what disappointed me the most. I'd still go into games feeling confident, but I'd get out there and start to feel nervous.

"When I walked out to bat I was looking round [at] all the fielders thinking 'I know all these guys'. I'd played with or against them all, and I'd been to the academy with some [and] roomed with some on tours. I didn't know how to feel [or] what to think."

With New Zealand Cricket set to announce central contracts on July 7, Ronchi chose to take a pragmatic approach. "I'll still have a contract with Cricket Wellington [then]. There's an (New Zealand) A tour in August and September so hopefully I can get on that. If I can get some good games in there and some runs, hopefully that [will] get me a gig to go to Bangladesh (in October) and onwards."

Ronchi made his debut in international cricket as an opening wicketkeeper batsman for Australia in 2008 against West Indies. As he was born in New Zealand, and was not getting selected for the Australian team regularly, Ronchi decided to move to New Zealand and apply for citizenship, in the hopes of pushing his name for selection into the national team.