Ross Taylor likely to be shafted from the captaincy?

[Bahnz]

Hmmm, I'm starting to get the feeling that McCullum was happy to bide his time as long as NZ were losing, because he knew that he was 1st cab off the rank for the captaincy job. However the win in SL, and the emergence of Southee promising more wins in the future probably made McCullum feel like he had to act if he was ever going to be captain.

It has to be noted that these are all still rumours, and that we shouldn't over-react. However, if this really was McCullum's attitude, I'm very disappointed that the NZC didn't tell him to go **** off to India. If there's one thing that the Ryder debacle has taught us, it's that no player is bigger than the team, or than the sport in this country.

 

[Zinzan]

Yeah but you're fuming for a really weird reason.

If this is true I think it's a ridiculous decision too. But it's ridiculous because Taylor's captaincy has been decent and parts of the team are really improving under his reign. The timing in particular of this decision (if true etc) is what really makes no sense.

The content of your rants seems to be focused on the fact that you think Taylor is a better batsman than McCullum. Well no ****. I'm sure Hesson and whoever else is responsible for selecting the national captain realise that too, so you're basically just making a straw man. The captaincy isn't something you just automatically give to the best batsman in the side; you give it to the best captain in the side who has a cemented place. I think Taylor is a better captain than McCullum would be too but the fact that he scores more runs than him means two fifths of **** all here.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah but you're fuming for a really weird reason.

If this is true I think it's a ridiculous decision too. But it's ridiculous because Taylor's captaincy has been decent and parts of the team are really improving under his reign. The timing in particular of this decision (if true etc) is what really makes no sense.

The content of your rants seems to be focused on the fact that you think Taylor is a better batsman than McCullum. Well no ****. I'm sure Hesson and whoever else is responsible for selecting the national captain realise that too, so you're basically just making a straw man. The captaincy isn't something you just automatically give to the best batsman in the side; you give it to the best captain in the side who has a cemented place. I think Taylor is a better captain than McCullum would be to but the fact that he scores more runs than him means two fifths of **** all here.

I'm ranting pewsbot, i don't want your rationality. it's much easier to attack McCullum's batting because Taylor as a tactician, if I'm honest, is no Fleming atm. I cbf being rational right now.

However I think I have a point when I say McCullum shouldn't get the captaincy because he only deserves to be there because there is no one else and he hardly ever scores tough runs. Taylor isn't going to set a brilliant trap, but he does lead by example. McCullum doesn't, and your captain needs to have the mental strength to score the big knocks (if he is a batsman) and lead from the front. We don't know enough yet to know if McCullum is indeed a tactical genius in waiting, but we do know he scores a big fat 0 when it comes to leading by example. Taylor isn't exactly innocent as a batsman but you don't want the guy holing out in the deep to Herath 2 seconds from stumps as your skipper. You just don't.

He doesn't lead by example and by the sounds of it is a real **** stirrer in the changing room. That for me is an even blacker mark against his name than his batting. If you want to stage a coup, at least show some class and if he has made an ultimatum then he is the least fit player in the country to lead the side. Vettori was hardly a genius skipper but you didn't see Taylor trying to turf him. In Fleming's earlier years the public called for his head countless times but Chris Cairns and Dion Nash stayed classy when they were very well respected as senior players and occassional skippers in their own right by the team and the public.

This is Crowe v Rutherford all over again to a T. Useless jammy waste of talent going head to head with a good batsman and in Crowe's case, an excellent tactician.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

i could believe this if we had been thrashed in the second test, but imo this is just the standard media ****. Will believe it when i see some concrete evidence

 

[Mike5181]

I don't think it's the right decision to make McCullum the captain, and considering there was a lot of positives to take from the recent Sri Lankan test, I think the timing is even worse. That being said, there's a lot of harsh criticism directed at him in this thread. I see arguments that he's all about T20, money etc, but in reality he's played more test matches than any other New Zealand player in the last five years. Why does he still play it if he doesn't care? He established his name as an explosive batsman years ago. He could have walked away then and spent all his time only playing T20, but he didn't. I think he does actually genuinely love playing for his country, and although he hasn't performed to an acceptable standard recently, performance-wise he's still in the top 3-4 batsman in the country. Not to mention, he's clearly the best opener we have.

 

[Days of Grace]

The only thing I can think of now is that Hesson and whoever else it was made their decision to take their concerns about Taylor to the board before the second test started.

 

[Mike5181]

The only thing I can think of now is that Hesson and whoever else it was made their decision to take their concerns about Taylor to the board before the second test started.

Yeah, I'd say they've been looking into it for a number of months now.

 

[Howsie]

Yep, according to the dominion post this morning apparently Hesson asked Taylor to step down before the tour of Sri Lanka started and Taylor told him to go **** himself.

How fun....

 

[Prince EWS]

It's a shame this is how Hesson has decided to spend his coaching tenure - jobs for the boys - because I think he actually has a lot to offer.

 

[Mike5181]

Yep, according to the dominion post this morning apparently Hesson asked Taylor to step down before the tour of Sri Lanka started and Taylor told him to go **** himself.

How fun....

Vettori's supportive of McCullum as captain as well apparently.

 

[SilentOne]

Ross Taylor Asked to Resign by Mike Hesson | Cricket... | Stuff.co.nz

The whole thing makes me sick, how are we as the public suppose to support any of this?

 

[Meridio]

I hadn't given these rumours too much credibility, but having just read that Dom Post article, it sounds pretty dire. Reeks of making Taylor a scapegoat for our continual poor performance this year (most recent test obv excluded). Now, I can't honestly say I've been amazed at Taylor's captaincy, particularly during the T20 World Cup (though how much of that was down to Taylor and how much was Hesson I have no idea), but he's got to be given a chance to grow into the role, and the general consensus from former captains etc. seems to be that he could become a very good captain.

Presuming that it is McCullum that gets given the captaincy (not someone like Williamson, which would be a terrible choice at this point in his career), I think he'd really have to prove that it's not just because he's Hesson's mate. You often read that he has good tactical nous etc. but if that's true, then why does he so often show complete tactical stupidity when he's batting? Can't say I've ever been impressed in the times he has captained too, and he wasn't exactly a roaring success when he did it for Kolkata in the IPL.

Anyway, completely moronic decision if it is true, but I think I lost faith in NZC at least five years ago so I'm not entirely surprised.

 

[SteveNZ]

Rumor is that McCullum is threatening to quit NZ cricket for the IPL and other T20 leagues unless his demands are met.

Not true, and getting way away from the point of the mates club that exists in the environment. If you watch hard enough in the changing room shots,you'll work it out.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Taylor reign looks shaky - Sport - NZ Herald News

Taylor lost "the more bullish bowling half of the dressing room" last season says the NZ Herald, exactly the crux point of this I feared, and it will only continue to be the case with the majority of players likely to enter the team over the next 3-4 years as well I suspect.

A massive fork in the road for the game here, basically NZ reaching a point where we're not even going to try to imitate the conventions and proprieties we associate with cricket, we're going to try ripping into ****s with the more brazen and opportunistic tactics of a winter code.

 

[Prince EWS]

Cricket: Taylor reign looks shaky - Sport - NZ Herald News

Taylor lost "the more bullish bowling half of the dressing room" last season says the NZ Herald, exactly the crux point of this I feared, and it will only continue to be the case with the majority of players likely to enter the team over the next 3-4 years as well I suspect.

A massive fork in the road for the game here, basically NZ reaching a point where we're not even going to try to imitate the conventions and proprieties we associate with cricket, we're going to try ripping into ****s with the more brazen and opportunistic tactics of a winter code.

That makes me think of Bracewell straight away, which is odd because he's a CD man and his family in general have always had very good relations with Ross Taylor from what I've been led to believe.

 

[hendrix]

The captaincy isn't something you just automatically give to the best batsman in the side; you give it to the best captain in the side who has a cemented place..

Taylor would be the best captain in the side if he had the support of his senior players. It only becomes a big deal when there's a mutiny.

I really don't think there's all that much to captaincy. Taylor said when he got the job that his role wouldn't be too complex; he'd simply bring on the bowlers that were bowling well, set aggressive but conventional fielders, and trust everyone to do their job. We have good enough bowlers that we don't need to muck around with unconventional field sets. Lo and behold, when players actually do their job we get a win...

Would a man with "tactical nous" do things much different?

 

[Prince EWS]

I knew someone would quote that out of context and make it look like I was advocating McCullum. FMD. I just objected to Phlegm's weird rants. I'd sooner make Franklin captain than McCullum.

 

[hendrix]

A true leader will support someone else and not undermine them

in a nutshell.

 

[hendrix]

I knew someone would quote that out of context and make it look like I was advocating McCullum. FMD. I just objected to Phlegm's weird rants. I'd sooner make Franklin captain than McCullum.

Sorry yeah I know what you were saying, I was just using it as a springboard for my comments.

Not disagreeing with you at all.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I think I will support England over the Black Caps come the home Test series if this pans out as expected. I can't support a team lead by men who indulge in Night of the Long Knives tactics to further their own machinations.

Hypermegabole.