Ryder eyeing spot in Black Caps' top order for Windies ODI series

Black Caps cult hero Jesse Ryder has expressed a desire to open the batting for New Zealand in the upcoming one-day series against the West Indies and says he has had 'a couple of chats' with coach Mike Hesson and national selection boss Bruce Edgar, according to reports.

According to Stuff.co.nz, Ryder hasn't been seen in New Zealand colours since February last year and has only been back playing domestic cricket for two months after his six-month ban for inadvertently taking a banned stimulant ended in late October.

In four Plunket Shield games for Otago, he's scored 454 runs at an average of 64.85, prompting calls for his return to the international scene to get louder, and feels he's now finally ready to return to the New Zealand setup, the report said.

Before his six-month ban for ingesting a weight loss supplement, he was hospitalised with serious injuries after an altercation outside a Christchurch bar in March, the report added.

Ryder said watching the New Zealand team perform strongly in their test series against the West Indies had reminded him what he was missing out on.

Edgar and Hesson, he said, had expressed their satisfaction with his performances so far for Otago, the report mentioned.

Ryder also said he was capable of rolling his arm over in the one-day series against the West Indies should skipper Brendon McCullum require him, according to the report.

The New Zealand squad for the five-match one-day series, which begins in Auckland on Boxing Day will be named tomorrow, the report further said.