Jesse Ryder chooses IPL over England series

Wellington: Former New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has made himself unavailable for the upcoming tour by England, as he is not ready yet to end his self-imposed exile from international cricket.

The talented 28-year-old has been one of the form domestic players of the New Zealand summer, prompting speculation that he could return to the Black Caps set-up following their just-completed tour of South Africa. Ryder fuelled the rumours in a radio interview two weeks ago when the Wellington batsman said he was still considering his options for the tour. But his agent, Aaron Klee, confirmed that Ryder would not be available for New Zealand selection for any of the games against England during February or March and hinted that a return to the Black Caps may still be some time away. Klee said Ryder has decided he is not ready to return to the Black Caps yet. Ryder last played for New Zealand in late February 2012, in a one-day international against South Africa in Napier and following the game, he and seamer Doug Bracewell went out drinking, breaking a team protocol, and were stood down for the next tour match in Auckland. Ryder, who has struggled with alcohol-related issues in the past, set in place a plan last June for the following 12 months, which featured a number of on and off-field goals and one of those was to not play international cricket for a year. ANI