...and if you lose?Have to say I don't see how this series can possibly do NZ much good. Even if we win, all the media will be like "it must be fixed!"
I get the feeling Hopkins is now on the outer. The next few weeks will indicate the direction of the team, Greatbatch must be wondering about his position and how great is it that a decent guy and a decent coach (for less egotistical players) in Andy Moles has been vindicated by how crap performances have been since him.I'm currently weighing up whether or not to take 3 days off work so I can got to all of the Wellington test. Should be an interesting series. I'm choosing to view it as a continuation of last years 1-1 series, rather than another pissy little 2-test rubber. Wahey for five match series! Hopefully the pitch is nice and green.
No clue who we'll go for bowling wise. Unfortunately Southee hasn't played any FC cricket at home since the Aussie series. He could really do with a stint playing for Northern, just so that we can gauge how he's advanced since his debut.
McCullum, McIntosh, Guptill, Taylor, Ryder, Williamson, Vettori, ****kins...sigh, Southee, Bennett (maybe wheel out Mug for a farewell if Bennett isn't fit?), Martin
Will hopefully be the last time we see ****kings and Guptill (at least for a while) in test cricket.
I really don't think Andy Moles was that great a coach if he lost the confidence of the players so quickly. The players didn't overturn him because they're an arrogant bunch of sob's who thought they were too good for him (with the possible exception of BFJ), but because they didn't feel like he was helping their cricket in any way. Whether they were right or wrong in this belief, it still counts as a major failing of Moles' tenure.I get the feeling Hopkins is now on the outer. The next few weeks will indicate the direction of the team, Greatbatch must be wondering about his position and how great is it that a decent guy and a decent coach (for less egotistical players) in Andy Moles has been vindicated by how crap performances have been since him.
Let players run the side and this will ALWAYS happen.
Throwing away his gloves despite it being to the detriment of the team is a bit disgraceful, especially in ODI matches. I agree he's starting to look more like a finished product in tests but at what expense? The guy has an ego the size of a battleship and Vettori panders to it. No player is bigger than the teamBrendon McCullum has hardly disgraced himself in his performances post-Moles.
With the recent super form that NZ have been with no wins in the last 10 matches, I don't see them winning this one.Massive series right before the World Cup. Anyways, I see New Zealand winning it.
Our recent performances have come from a mix of injuries and playing in unfamiliar conditions (as well as being just ****). Playing at home, this should be a very good and even series.With the recent super form that NZ have been with no wins in the last 10 matches, I don't see them winning this one.
I hope we get to see some good cricket.Our recent performances have come from a mix of injuries and playing in unfamiliar conditions (as well as being just ****). Playing at home, this should be a very good and even series.
Exactly what I meant. There's no way this series can do us any good....and if you lose?
Not really with this bunch of Pak players tbh. Only exception may be Umar Akmal and Wahab.Have to say I don't see how this series can possibly do NZ much good. Even if we win, all the media will be like "it must be fixed!"
I know..no Saeed Anwar but sure has the guts as shown in Hobart against Aussies. You never know its about time we found a decent opener....The Sports Encounter – It's all about Sports Manzoor gets New Zealand ticket
Good news don't rate him as the next Saeed Anwar but he has performed so he is getting rewarded for it.It seems there is now a conscious effort to select non flashy boring domestic toilers like Manzoor,Taufeeq,Tanveer and Rehman to bring some stability in the chaotic world of Pakistan cricket.
Yeah i agree to some extent. Him giving up the gloves in tests came with its positives and its negatives. He is scoring runs at the crucial position as an opener but also hurting us down the order with the inclusion of Hopkins. At the end of the day he can't keep for days on end in his condition so we can't really have a problem with it as long as he is performing with the bat. ODIs is different though, there is of greater importance on the lower order especially with NZ which is famous for a fragile top order. BM does maintains that he does still keep in this form of the game so there is no real problems there either unless we see the face of Hopkins again and again when BM is fully fit.Throwing away his gloves despite it being to the detriment of the team is a bit disgraceful, especially in ODI matches. I agree he's starting to look more like a finished product in tests but at what expense? The guy has an ego the size of a battleship and Vettori panders to it. No player is bigger than the team