Date-stamped : 09 Apr97 - 06:23 4 April 1997 McMillan Gains Reward Prolific scorer to go on India trip by Geoff Longley Craig McMillan yesterday became Canterbury's seventh New Zealand cricketer this season with his inclusion in the national team for a one-day tournament in India next month. McMillan, 20, was rewarded for his prolific run-getting feats this summer, including a provincial scoring record, with inclusion in the 14-man side. McMillan is the only newcomer to the team which is otherwise the 13 which finished the international season against Sri Lanka. Whether McMillan makes his New Zealand debut on this tour is debatable, as he has been included to provide back-up batting cover to the already established line-up. The tour is for a minimum of three games against Pakistan (May 9), India (May 14), and Sri Lanka (May 20). If New Zealand is one of the top two teams it qualifies for the best-of-three match finals. If illness, injury, or loss of form necessitates change, McMillan is determined to take the opportunity. A punishing batsman, McMillan bats anywhere in the order between No. 3 and No. 6 in the one-day arena. The short Indian visit is a good chance for McMillan to be eased into the international arena, the selectors Ross Dykes (convener), Mike Shrimpton, and Rick Pickard decided. McMillan is well versed in top level cricket and touring overseas. He has played in Pakistan, Australia, and England with the New Zealand Youth team while being a Canterbury regular for the past three seasons. In his debut season, aged 18, McMillan scored a century in his second first-class match, the youngest Canterbury player to do so. He also scored a Shell Cup century. While there was delight for McMillan, there was some disappointment for fellow Canterbury player Geoff Allott, who wanted to be considered for the trip. Dykes said while Allott was expected to be fit by the start of the quadrangular tournament, he would have not been able to take a full part in preparation for the visit. Allott is mid-way through a six-week recovery period for a stress fracture in his lower back and common sense would suggest the injury be given maximum healing time before building up to the proposed tour to Zimbabwe and the definite visit to Australia early next season. The other players with injury concerns at the end of the just-finished season, Heath Davis and Dipak Patel, are expected to be fit. Davis is due to have arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome knee complaint in coming days while Patel has recovered from the ankle sprain which ruled him out of the matches against Sri Lanka. Chris Cairns has delayed surgery on the injured ankle he carried for the latter part of the season until after the tour and remains as a specialist batsman. Team: Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Craig McMillan (Canterbury); Heath Davis, Gavin Larsen (Wellington); Simon Doull, Bryan Young, Daniel Vettori (Northern Districts); Matt Horne (Otago); Dipak Patel, Adam Parore (Auckland); Andrew Penn (Central Districts). Source :: The Christchurch Press (http://www.press.co.nz) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)