Pacer Southee also working on batting to push his case in New Zealand team

Wellington, May 11 (ANI): New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee has also been working on his batting in an attempt to push his case as an all-round option in the lower order.

However, his biggest goal is to regain the test spot that he lost during the home three-match series against South Africa.

The 23-year-old, who headed to Canada yesterday to play in a promotional match for a World XI against an Asian XI in Toronto, admitted he was desperate to play test cricket after again missing out on the test squad for the upcoming tour to play the West Indies.

"That's something that I really enjoy doing and I want to play more of them. But I've only got myself to blame for bowling poorly, and I know it's not going to be easy with a lot of people now putting their hands up among the test bowlers," he said.

Southee was named in the New Zealand Twenty20 and one-day squads and was confident he has already made big strides on the delivery problems that caused a loss of form that culminated in him being dumped following the first test in Dunedin, stuff.co.nz reports.

"I've still been doing some stuff via phone and email with [NZ bowling coach] Damien Wright, just on a couple of little technical things that crept into my game. It was mostly a matter of timing - I was rushing to the crease and in doing so lost that swing and wasn't hitting the wicket hard," Southee said.

Southee indicated in his late-season first-class appearances with the title-winning Northern Knights that he was already finding a cure. (ANI)