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Selectors Missed a Trick

Thursday, April 3 2003

The New Zealand selectors have missed a trick by not including talented youngsters and recalling old heads for the tour of Sri Lanka.

Tim McIntosh must wonder what he did wrong. Leading run scorer in the State Championship, just a tick above the age of 20 and an opening batsman.

Solution to many of New Zealand’s problems? Cleary not, well, if you believe the selectors at least.

The tour following the World Cup to Sri Lanka was clearly a good time to blood a youngster like McIntosh or even Jesse Ryder.

The Sri Lankans are without a coach, without a chairman of selectors, without a happy captain and without Aravinda de Silva.

Rarely will you find a Sri Lankan side more vulnerable at home. So why not blood the new players?

There is no easy time to blood new international cricketers, but it makes sense after a World Cup to failure to remove the older wood in the squad.

The Matthew Horne recall must surely be a last chance measure, at best. Hopefully, for the sake of Kiwi cricket, it’s stop-gap until they see McIntosh ready.

Lou Vincent is also incredibly lucky to make the tour. Having failed miserably since his debut Test 100, it was time to move on to an emerging youngster like Ryder.

Despite his brilliant fielding, no cricketer has ever made a squad on their fielding ability. Even Jonty Rhodes and Andrew Symonds have justified their selections with runs.

If you drop the more talented, experienced and proven Craig McMillan, what warrants the re-selection of Vincent? This surely must be his last chance if he does not perform.

The selection of Chris Harris in the ODI squads also baffles. His figures have hardly set the world alight in recent times and many believe he is getting too long in the tooth.

The one area New Zealand have supreme strength in is the all-rounders, so why include Harris over someone more penetrative and youthful like Tama Canning or Matthew Walker?

The selection of Paul Wiseman is also a worry. Wiseman has had bucket loads of chances, but to be fair, it seems as though he remains the second best spinner in New Zealand, a worrying sign for cricket in the country.

However, the selection of Richard Jones after years of consistent scoring earns applause. His selection was more than warranted, perhaps even overdue.

Ian Butler has been rewarded for his youthful zest and exuberance with selection and many look forward to his new ball partnership with Shane Bond blossoming.

Chris Nevin’s selection in the ODI squad as a specialist batsman finally highlights the fact that he is best suited to the opening role without the gloves. He should form the opening partnership with Stephen Fleming.

Unless players like Horne perform on a Bradman-like scale, the New Zealand selectors have missed a trick.

Only time will tell if this is the case.

Posted by Andre