Chris Cairns is likely to miss the start of next month's one-day series against India as New Zealand look to protect him ahead of February's World Cup. Cairns underwent keyhole surgery on a long-standing injury to his right knee in March and suffered a setback when he returned earlier this month which required a further small operation.

Warren Frost, New Zealand Cricket's medical co-ordinator, said that it was important that Cairns was not rushed back into the international game without first proving his fitness at provincial level. "Obviously we want him right for the World Cup and we don't want any complications from bringing him back too early," Frost told the BBC. "We would want him to play some games for Canterbury before he played a one-day international.

"As long as he's fit when the team board the plane at the end of January for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, that's our main aim."

Frost added that there had been no complications from the second surgery and that Cairns had begun cycling and pool work at the weekend.

New Zealand's domestic one-day competition begins on December 28, allowing Cairns to play as many as five games for Canterbury before returning for the fifth ODI at Wellington on January 8.

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