Ronchi a threat to former team-mates

Twenty-three years ago, almost to the day, Australia were done over in a World Cup match by a man who used to be one of their own. When Australia took on South Africa at the SCG on February 26, 1992, it was ex-Australia player Kepler Wessels who led South Africa to victory and was Man of the Match for his unbeaten 81.

The Australians hope history does not repeat at this World Cup, for on Saturday they will again face a potential match-winner who used to be part of their own camp: wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi. Born in New Zealand but raised in Australia, Ronchi debuted for Australia in 2008 and played four ODIs and three T20s for them as back-up to Brad Haddin.

Michael Clarke was captain of Australia's ODI side on the 2008 tour of the West Indies, and in the fifth ODI in Basseterre he moved Ronchi up to No.3 after Shane Watson fell. Ronchi proceeded to smash a 22-ball half-century, at the time the equal second fastest in Australia's ODI history. His future in green and gold seemed bright.

But a form slump led to him slipping down the queue, and in 2012 he moved back to the country of his birth with no guarantees, but a desire to play international cricket again. There is no question the move has been a success and Ronchi, now 33, is one of the men Australia will need to keep quiet if they are to leave Auckland with a win.

"I remember the game at St Kitts when he got 50 off 20 balls or something like that and he kept very well throughout that series as well," Watson said in Auckland this week. "He's a very dynamic player if he gets going, so we'll be doing everything we can to try and limit that."

Watson is one of four members of Australia's XI for the match against New Zealand who has played international cricket with Ronchi; Clarke, David Warner and Mitchell Johnson are the others. He also roomed with Aaron Finch at the academy and has played with or against all of Australia's World Cup squad members but Pat Cummins.

"We used him in terms of information a lot in terms of our scouting and obviously he's faced them a lot, so in our discussions he was able to add some good insights," New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said. "Luke's a pretty calm character, he's pretty meticulous with how he plans but nothing really ruffles him ... For him it's just business as usual."

It is not the first time Ronchi has played against his former country - he made 14 against them in the Champions Trophy washout in Birmingham in 2013. But a clash between his two countries, the two host nations of this World Cup, in front of a massive crowd at Eden Park - that is an entirely different matter.

"It's fantastic to see him get a guernsey, he's a good fella," Warner said of Ronchi this week. "At the end of the day he's playing against us. There'll be no friends on the field but off the field we'll probably have a beer with him."

It is to be expected that after switching allegiances, Ronchi might be subject of the odd barb from Warner and the rest of the Australians during Saturday's game. He knows that. But such is the global way of cricket now that playing against former team-mates is par for the course, albeit not usually in international matches.

"Everyone's actually been really good about the whole situation," Ronchi told ESPNcricinfo late last year. "I've followed a dream, taken a chance and it's worked out. Nobody is really going to give you too much grief. You might play games and people might give you a little bit of chat and stuff, but in the end that's all it is, just a bit of chat on the field. It doesn't mean too much.

"It's different, the way it's all worked out. But I can't complain with the chance I've been given in both countries."