England have soothed concerns about the fitness of Paul Collingwood after he played no serious part in the first net session of the tour. The one-day captain suffered what a team spokesman said was a minor spasm in his lower back during the warm-up, did not bowl and engaged only in a few gentle throwdowns that he pushed back one-handed.

The squad, which is severely jet-lagged, spent more than three hours at the National High Performance Centre on the outskirts of Christchurch. Collingwood had lengthy massage treatment from Kirk Russell, the physiotherapist, but was short of full mobility afterwards.

There are six days before the first Twenty20 international in Auckland, while the one-day series begins on Saturday week, but, with England having yet to to name a formal vice-captain, there is always speculation when the leader so much as sneezes. In this instance, Kevin Pietersen would be the probable stand-in.

England are to train at the impressive facility for the rest of the week and, for Ravi Bopara, February carries a certain importance. Having been dropped from the Test squad after a poor series in Sri Lanka before Christmas, he wants to cement his place in the one-day team without being pigeon-holed as a specialist in the shorter form.

“I see the next three weeks as the most important time in my life,” he said. “As a cricketer you have a short career, between ten and 15 years, and you have to make the most of yourself in that period. Sri Lanka did not go as I wanted, but it is no negative being in the one-day side.”

Bopara wasted little time in heading to Essex to sound out Graham Gooch, whose fine Test career began in equally difficult circumstances in 1975 against the Australia team who included Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. “I know I can play both forms, but you cannot just cruise,” Bopara said. “Those setbacks have just made me hungrier.”

The New Zealand selectors put the final touches to their squad yesterday, while Shane Bond, with the international door slammed shut for the forseeable future, pondered whether others may open in England. The fast bowler is keen to return to county cricket and would have no qualms about converting to a non-overseas player if the opportunity arises.

Bond played for Warwickshire briefly in 2002 and will be available after agreeing to cancel his contract with New Zealand Cricket to fulfil a commitment with the “rebel” Indian Cricket League (ICL). Speaking to Times Online, he said: “In terms of an international career, I am probably finished, so I will look at other options. A county side is definitely something to look at and I would be prepared to play as a Kolpak if that is possible.”

Hamish Marshall, a friend and former colleague in the national team, followed such a path with Gloucestershire last season. He was able to switch allegiance because he has an Irish passport.

Players from Australia and New Zealand will be eligible as Kolpak signings when free-trade agreements are ratified between their countries and the European Union, but that may not happen before the start of the coming season. Another consideration for Bond is that his wife is due to give birth to their third child during the summer.

The implications of New Zealand's failure to persuade him to pull out of the ICL are being considered in the country. With relatively little money in the hands of the home board, leading players will always be vulnerable to good offers. The extension of Kolpak may come to present the biggest threat of all.

Bond believes that England may have the edge in the coming series. “I think it will be difficult for us,” he said. “We will have to play really well. England have a good batting line-up and their bowlers will enjoy the conditions here. Our batting has probably not been as good as it should be recently.”

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