**Official** Pakistan in New Zealand (3 tests)

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Probably. Name a bowler who's deceased, and he could run through this bunch of pathetic misfits. O'Brien to top score. Possibly 2nd behind Taylor.

 

[Howsie]

Watling But no Broom

How McIntosh is still in the team I have no idea, the selectors do realise that he isn't likely to score runs with his technique do they?

 

[Craig]

Goodbye on Fulton's Test career.

 

[NZTailender]

Watling But no Broom

How McIntosh is still in the team I have no idea, the selectors do realise that he isn't likely to score runs with his technique do they?

Last chance Charlie, surely. If he fails, someone will get a 'soft' debut against Banglas before the Aus series.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Goodbye on Fulton's Test career.

Until the next person fails and he gets another callup. The Kiwi batting line up is pretty much a carnival merry-go-round.

 

[NZTailender]

Lots of talk from the likes of Crowe about the lineup I suggested. Guptill - 3 Flynn - 5

What about the talk from people who actually pick the team?

FTR from the players selected, I'd probably have Guptill 3, Flynn 5 and Watling open. Mainly because Flynn @ 5 >>> Guptill and Watling (probably, since they've never batted there).

 

[Craig]

If McIntosh got dropped, who would of got picked, Cumming? Does he inspire a lot more confidence?

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

****ing bull****.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Howsie]

What about this (can't see many people agreeing with it though). We get Brendon McCullum to open?

If we have middle order batsmen putting their hand up why force openers into test cricket that just aren't ready? Sri Lanka have done it with Dilshan and so far it's work wonderfully well. We could go:

1.Watling
2.McCullum
3.Guptill
4.Taylor
5.Ryder
6.Broom
7.Flynn (someone else)
8.Vettori

Ryder's more then capable of bowling 5-10 overs if needed.

 

[Prince EWS]

What about this (can't see many people agreeing with it though). We get Brendon McCullum to open?

If we have middle order batsmen putting their hand up why force openers into test cricket that just aren't ready? Sri Lanka have done it with Dilshan and so far it's work wonderfully well. We could go:

1.Watling
2.McCullum
3.Guptill
4.Taylor
5.Ryder
6.Broom
7.Flynn (someone else)
8.Vettori

Ryder's more then capable of bowling 5-10 overs if needed.

Nah, would be dire tbh.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Why don't we just play our ODI line-up in Test matches?

 

[Prince EWS]

Absolute crock. Drop Fulton for Watling as the only change. Absolutely pathetic cowardice from the Kiwi selectors. Agree wholesale changes were not necessarily the way forward, but McIntosh should be gone and Broom should be in.

Yeah, I'm not the biggest Broom fan in the world, but he certainly should've been the first batsman to come into the team ahead of Watling. I can understand them not wanting to drop two or three batsmen at once, but Watling coming in doesn't make much sense to me, particularly when it was a middle order batsman who was dropped. New Zealand are quite clearly struggling for openers, so their selectors have gone ahead and picked three of 'em. It'd be like Australia playing two spinners at the Gabba.

 

[NZTailender]

Why don't we just play our ODI line-up in Test matches?

Haha, it's getting to be that way, isn't it?

 

[NZTailender]

If McIntosh got dropped, who would of got picked, Cumming? Does he inspire a lot more confidence?

Doesn't inspire confidence, even though I am a fan. Shouldn't really have been dropped in the first place, but if he had been given a consistent run he probably would've done better than McIntosh, Bell, Papps, How et al.

 

[Days of Grace]

I think in their defense the reason would be that Guptill will go to no.3 and Flynn down to no.5.


I am actually really depressed about New Zealand cricket at the moment. O'Brien is joining the long list of recent players who will retire when they still have so much to offer. Bond is injured and by the looks of it will announce his retirement from test cricket in about two weeks. Nice christmas present.

Logic would state that Bond should retire from test cricket after the Australian series, but illogical decisions have been the bain of NZ retirements for the best part of 5 years now, i.e. Astle just before the 2007 world cup, Fleming before a tour of England.

All of this points to a weak, ****ty lineup vs. Australia in March. Typical of us to have a strong lineup against a middle-rank team but a ****house one against the Aussies.

Oh, and McIntosh will make a single figure score in the first innings as we crumble. In the second innings, as we are chasing 534 to win, he will make a long 64 and convince the selectors that he is still worthy.

In the Bangladesh test he will ton up after being dropped on 22. He will of course be retained for the Aussie series where he will make four single-digit scores in succession.

Who disagrees with this?


In conclusion, all I want is for Bond, Ryder, Taylor, McCullum and Vettori to play in both tests against Australia. Pick any 6 more players you want, all I care about is to have those 5 there. If not, I may lose it completely.

 

[straw man]

I am actually really depressed about New Zealand cricket at the moment. O'Brien is joining the long list of recent players who will retire when they still have so much to offer. Bond is injured and by the looks of it will announce his retirement from test cricket in about two weeks. Nice christmas present.

O'Brien's retirement reminds me a lot of Richardson's, which was also a big blow at the time. Both were similar toilers who got a lot out of themselves and clawed their way to the top... but then once there decided they'd proved to themselves they could do it and gave it away. Richardson too would have been good for at least another 12-18 months if he'd had the will.

 

[Prince EWS]

O'Brien's retirement reminds me a lot of Richardson's, which was also a big blow at the time. Both were similar toilers who got a lot out of themselves and clawed their way to the top... but then once there decided they'd proved to themselves they could do it and gave it away. Richardson too would have been good for at least another 12-18 months if he'd had the will.

12-18 months? Hell if Richardson put his hand up now I'd be in favour of picking him for the third Test!

 

[NZ Guy]

I think in their defense the reason would be that Guptill will go to no.3 and Flynn down to no.5.


I am actually really depressed about New Zealand cricket at the moment. O'Brien is joining the long list of recent players who will retire when they still have so much to offer. Bond is injured and by the looks of it will announce his retirement from test cricket in about two weeks. Nice christmas present.

Logic would state that Bond should retire from test cricket after the Australian series, but illogical decisions have been the bain of NZ retirements for the best part of 5 years now, i.e. Astle just before the 2007 world cup, Fleming before a tour of England.

All of this points to a weak, ****ty lineup vs. Australia in March. Typical of us to have a strong lineup against a middle-rank team but a ****house one against the Aussies.

Oh, and McIntosh will make a single figure score in the first innings as we crumble. In the second innings, as we are chasing 534 to win, he will make a long 64 and convince the selectors that he is still worthy.

In the Bangladesh test he will ton up after being dropped on 22. He will of course be retained for the Aussie series where he will make four single-digit scores in succession.

Who disagrees with this?


In conclusion, all I want is for Bond, Ryder, Taylor, McCullum and Vettori to play in both tests against Australia. Pick any 6 more players you want, all I care about is to have those 5 there. If not, I may lose it completely.

Agreed

Guptill to ton up on a road and be labeled a number 3 for the rest of his career

 

[Athlai]

I'm not that worried and I've really enjoyed this Test series, we got beaten by a fair bit in Wellington but we showed some positive signs.

Tuffey
Taylor's stellar form
Flynn remains a good prospect in my eyes

We need to remember this is a brilliant attack against us, Asif and Aamer are two of the best bowlers we've had in the country in yonks. There is a lot to be dissappointed in our performances but we're shy our best/second best batsman and facing a lot of retirements.

We still have Southee as a bowler we haven't yet seen this series who is top quality.

 

[Athlai]

Agreed

Guptill to ton up on a road and be labeled a number 3 for the rest of his career

Wouldn't bother me really.