Black Caps allrounder Jacob Oram may not be guaranteed a spot in the side any more but the 33-year-old wouldn't have it any other way.
The part-time television presenter is in line play his 154th one-day international against Zimbabwe in Dunedin on Friday but knows he faces a fight to keep his place as a new crop of talent emerges.
"I didn't count my chickens coming into this side. A few years ago I may have packed my black helmet with me as I went away to play with CD but this year I kept it at home because I wasn't sure.
"The competition is tight and that's a great thing for New Zealand cricket because the more guys we've got knocking on the door, putting pressure on senior players, the better because it just raises everyone's standards," he told reporters.
Oram freely admits he is in the twilight of his international career but says he is good shape physically ahead of the three one-dayers and two Twenty20 matches against Zimbabwe even if his role in the side has now changed.
Since his injury-enforced retirement from Test cricket in 2009 Oram has drifted down the batting order while his bowling has taken on bigger role in the shorter form of the game the he restricts himself to.
It's not to say he has given up on his batting, it's just that he doesn't dedicate as much time to it as he did when he was coming in at six in the Test batting line-up.
"I still work on it, the skills are still there. Falling down the order you don't get the chance to show them as much - especially in the Twenty20 format. Basically it's boundary from ball one or you're not doing your role. It's hit or miss stuff.
NZN