**Official** New Zealand v Pakistan in UAE

[Perm]

That's the problem when you pick bowlers with a FC average of over 40.

 

[NZTailender]

That's the problem when you pick bowlers with a FC average of over 40.

Bruce Martin ftw

 

[straw man]

The team for the warmup game.

New Zealand Invitation XI squad: Grant Elliott (capt), Craig Cumming, Tim McIntosh, BJ Watling, Daniel Flynn, James Franklin, Reece Young (wk), Darrell Tuffey, Tarun Nethula, Tim Southee, Ian O'Brien, Brent Arnel

Nethula being in the team must mean the selectors rate him higher than Patel now in test cricket?

Doubtful if Vettori is still in charge, Dan rates Jeets pretty highly. Think they just want Nethula as a leg spinner (isn't he?) to come good. No point in using another off spinner that won't get any spin in NZ conditions.

Cumming, Watling and McIntosh battling for the opening role. Pleased with this, these are the names I wanted to see.
Flynn looking unopposed in that number 3 role unless we throw an opener there?
Besides Young and to a lesser extent Nethula these guys are all playing for their spots.

So the selectors must rate him more then Patel right now then, and yes he's a leg spinner.

So Chris Martin must have the first place in the bowling line-up, I'm guessing it will be:

Tuffey and Southee opening (Best performace between these two will see one of them opening with Martin).

Arnel and O'Brien will bowl 1st and 2nd change (Best performace between these two will see one of them as our first change bowler).

Martin
Tuffey/Southee
Arnel/O'Brien
Elliott/Franklin
Vettori

That IS a really good invitation side. *clap clap* for the selectors (who clearly need the approval of some hack on a cricket forum )

Some good battles for spots:
Franklin & Elliott - I still reckon both will play in the test series (assuming Ryder injured) but after that they're fighting for the number 6 spot.

The bowlers, as mentioned above. Agree with Hurricane that O'Brien should be a shoo-in. Between Tuffey and Southee for the last spot if Bond doesn't play.

Quietly pleased that Craig Cumming is still in consideration for that opening spot. Plus some good experience for Watling who could be opening with Guptill say a year from now *fingers crossed*.

May also mean Reece Young is going to be preferred to Hopkins from now on - not a bad move IMO as Hopkins is getting old and has only been serviceable at best (tidy with the gloves, hopeless with the bat). Though I haven't seen any of Young's keeping and I seem to remember some of you said it's not crash hot.

They do seem to be keeping the faith with Flynn. I have a feeling he's going to have a poor season though.

 

[brackenNY]

Hi Faisal.. How are you feeling.. You must be wondering how on earth NZ would win the series...mind you.. this is just a start. NZ will clean sweep Pakis in the T20's

Please, make a similar prediction for the tests.

 

[thierry henry]

Any idea of what type of leggie he is these days, is he a big turner by any chance?

Well he was certainly a big turner when I played him, and that was 10 years ago when he was 16.

Having said that, Roneel Hira turned it big whenever I played him, and bowls straight darts at FC/List A level, so who knows? Playing against better batsmen I guess you can't bowl it as slowly and therefore can't necessarily turn it as much.

 

[straw man]

May also mean Reece Young is going to be preferred to Hopkins from now on - not a bad move IMO as Hopkins is getting old and has only been serviceable at best (tidy with the gloves, hopeless with the bat). Though I haven't seen any of Young's keeping and I seem to remember some of you said it's not crash hot.

Turns out this is probably not right after all. Hopkins is missing the Auckland game as well because of the birth of his first child.

 

[DIRK-NANNES]

Turns out this is probably not right after all. Hopkins is missing the Auckland game as well because of the birth of his first child.

Nah, you were (possibly) right before
Turner insinuated awhile ago that Reece Young was seen as the next in line for the Test gloves.

"He toured last time with the 'A's," Turner said of Young. "We just like his glovework and I think it's healthy now that we have guys putting their hands up in different forms of the game. We have McGlashan with his innovative batting in Twenty20 and we like Gareth Hopkins as a batsman in the 50 overs. It's horses for courses."

 

[Flem274*]

Wait, he thinks Hopkins is the man for 50 overs?

Cry face.

 

[DIRK-NANNES]

I know, it's ridiculous
Had I been drinking at the time, I would have spewed it all over the place after reading that.
Hopefully he's changed his mind since then...

 

[Prince EWS]

Haha yeah, would probably go with McGlashan for both forms of limited overs cricket and Hopkins for Tests, myself.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

looks like Watling could be a good back up keeper, at least he might score the occassional run unlike Hopkins.

 

[DingDong]

Kinda like what happened to Patel

patel has performed to the best of his ability in every game he's played.

 

[DingDong]

looks like Watling could be a good back up keeper, at least he might score the occassional run unlike Hopkins.

watling has limited experience keeping to people like vettori and patel. it's too soon for him.

 

[Flem274*]

patel has performed to the best of his ability in every game he's played.

Unfortunately the best of his ability is often not good enough.

 

[straw man]

Nah, you were (possibly) right before
Turner insinuated awhile ago that Reece Young was seen as the next in line for the Test gloves.

Originally Posted by Glenn Turner
"He toured last time with the 'A's," Turner said of Young. "We just like his glovework and I think it's healthy now that we have guys putting their hands up in different forms of the game. We have McGlashan with his innovative batting in Twenty20 and we like Gareth Hopkins as a batsman in the 50 overs. It's horses for courses."

Surely that was before the Champion's Trophy right? I hope Turner has changed his mind (though by all accounts would probably require brain surgery to change his mind).

 

[Blakey]

Surely that was before the Champion's Trophy right? I hope Turner has changed his mind (though by all accounts would probably require brain surgery to change his mind).

He would first need Vettori's permission to do so.

 

[DIRK-NANNES]

Surely that was before the Champion's Trophy right? I hope Turner has changed his mind (though by all accounts would probably require brain surgery to change his mind).

Yeah, he said it prior to the Sri Lankan tour.