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***Official*** West Indies in New Zealand 2013/14
- Thread starter Prince EWS
- Start date
BeeGee
International Captain
This is how it happens. McCullum, Hesson and David White are all injured in a freak Christmas boating accident and all three are forced into early retirement. Ryder replaces McCullum at five, John Wright returns as coach and gives Taylor back the captaincy. Southee and Boult replace Steyn and Philander as the best bowlers in the world, Taylor and Ryder become the best two batsmen in the world. NZ is the no.1 test team within five years.
Anyone know how to rig a dodgy fuel line in a boat?
Beamer
International Vice-Captain
Kieron Pollard has the same issue. They both have poor actions and the only way they can even occasionally get up to the 130kph mark is because they are both absolute beasts when it comes to upper body strength. Whereas Jerome Taylor (please come back Jerome) is such a slight figure but had a beautiful bowling action and athletic rythm so he could regularly get above 140kph without having to strain himself much. Cricket, glorious cricket, it's a strange game!
Beamer
International Vice-Captain
It's a very uncertain time in our cricket tbh, who knows what's going to happen. The selectors have proven they are not up to the task, so if they are still around who knows what they will come up with for that even if we are at full strength. We've just appointed Richard Pybus as our director of cricket so we'll have to see what changes he tries to make. If it were up to me, we'd have both a new captain and a new coach by then.
If we are at full strength and can get our top batsmen into some form, then we'll form a formidable challenge, we'd probably even be favourites if the pitches turn as much as they usually do. You don't get much swing in the Caribbean. But as I said, who knows what will happen, there's going to be quite a bit of cricket for both teams before that tour and a lot can happen. A couple of months back we were sitting on a 6 match winning streak with a developing bowling attack and all was hunky dory. Now we're right back to the drawing board again with horrendous injury problems and no stomach for the fight. If NZ were to go through a similar injury crisis, you would suffer similarly as neither of us have much depth. So we'll just wait and see.
Our next assignments after this tour are:
- Early February: 2 T20's and a ODI at home against Ireland
- Late February/Early March: 3 ODI's and 3T20's at home to England
- March/April: T20 World Cup in Bangladesh
- May/June: 3 Tests and 5 ODI's at home to New Zealand
- July/August: 2 Tests, 3 ODI's and 1 T20 at home to Bangladesh
hendrix
Hall of Fame Member
Gee that return series is so crucial to both teams, isn't it?
I could almost see a couple of draws being played out if both teams' batting is on song and there is no unexpected swing. OTOH, Roach and Narine could put us under a mountain of pressure if there's a bit of seam and spin.
This is why it's really important that NZ finds a better third seamer than Wagner. He's not a swing bowler and he's not a seam bowler and he's not quick and he's not accurate.
I could almost see a couple of draws being played out if both teams' batting is on song and there is no unexpected swing. OTOH, Roach and Narine could put us under a mountain of pressure if there's a bit of seam and spin.
This is why it's really important that NZ finds a better third seamer than Wagner. He's not a swing bowler and he's not a seam bowler and he's not quick and he's not accurate.
wellAlbidarned
International Coach
I'll never figure out why it's so hard for us to accept that we don't ****ing have any. Such an utter waste of a team slot.
edit: inb4 vettori. Yes a fit and in-form dan is the exception.
Last edited:
NZTailender
I can't believe I ate the whole thing
So let's not pick any, then when we get to a raging turner bring in spinners with no Test experience and drop them as soon as we're back on seaming pitches. Great way to foster a spin bowling culture in the country and develop players.
wellAlbidarned
International Coach
I'm just saying how about we wait until they're capable of dismissing domestic batsmen? Throwing players in the deep who've already proven at the level below that they're not good enough is just brainless.
Flem274*
123/5
I'm behind McCullum opening, but imo if Ryder comes in he will open or push Anderson out. We can't afford to send Sodhi down a creek. Let him apply all he's learned to late season pitches in domestix.
Kemar Roach too. He's extremely short by fast bowling standards and quite slight as well yet he's your premier quick bowler and his early record compares favourably to other young bowlers around the world.
Flem274*
123/5
McCullum hinting Sodhi will play regardless of Vettori...
Cricket: Core players progressing well - Cricket - NZ Herald News
Cricket: Core players progressing well - Cricket - NZ Herald News
wellAlbidarned
International Coach
The indians licking their lips. Gonna be fun playing with a specialist number 9 bat.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Reckon he could well of more use (see: less hindrance) to the team against India if he literally did play as a specialist number nine batsman.
James
Cricket Web Owner
Make more sense to just do a straight swap between Ryder and Sodhi wouldn't it?
Still leaves the 4 seamers (Boult/Southee/Anderson/Wagner) with Williamson and Ryder to throw in a few overs.
Beamer
International Vice-Captain
Agreed. If I were a New Zealand fan I'd want to find solutions to the following problems in order for the side to develop:
- Both openers are ordinary by international standards. Both Fulton and Rutherford have obvious flaws in their techniques which decent attacks who have done their research will expose time after time. Tbh in the series just finished I am pretty confident Rampaul and Roach would have had them for breakfast if they'd been fit. Rutherford may yet make it (though personally I doubt it), but Fulton is in his mid 30s iirc so he will need replacing at some point.Maybe Latham is a good candidate?
- You need a better third seamer than Wagner as Hendrix says. Ian Bishop was very clear on this too, Wagner is neither an attacking fast bowler who will take wickets but go for runs or a stingy third seamer who will try and bowl in the corridor all day. My preference would be to play the fastest bowler in New Zealand who can bowl back of a length deliveries. This would offer variety to compliment Boult and Southee's full pitched swing bowling. It will also help overseas when the ball isn't swinging for the opening bowlers.
- A decent spinner. Sodhi just didn't seem good enough to me, at least not yet, He needs to learn to spin his leggies more to be a realistic international prospect. I was never worried when he was bowling and our batsmen knew that a bad ball was going to come along at some point (rather like facing the spin bowling equivalent of Tino then!). If Vettori is back and bowling up to his old standards I'd have him back in a heartbeat. He will be much more miserly and support the seamers.
Of course on the flip side you have a decent middle order with a gun player at 4, a potentially good all-rounder at 6 (very early days though), a solid keeper batsman and two excellent opening bowlers. With one or two of these problems solved you could start competing more regularly with the top sides, even overseas. Of course, I fear that you might be similar to us and if you get a few injuries your competitiveness might fall dramatically. Just my thoughts having just played 3 tests against you anyway.
Re Wagner
I don't know what's happened to him. When he hit the FC scene in NZ he was ripping batsmen out with brutal inswinging yorkers. Watch:
Neil Wagner - Record five First-Class wickets in a six ball over - YouTube
I don't know what's happened to him. When he hit the FC scene in NZ he was ripping batsmen out with brutal inswinging yorkers. Watch:
Neil Wagner - Record five First-Class wickets in a six ball over - YouTube
Hurricane
Hall of Fame Member
No such hints in that article. He is just not committing to anything at this stage.
Flem274*
123/5
Good post from Beamer. My minor quibble would be I think back of a length bowling is a waste of time on modern New Zealand pitches. Good length should be the shortest length you bowl unless it's a genuine bouncer attempt. Tino bowled back of a length at good pace all series and while he had the odd burst of wickets and making us uncomfortable, wasn't as effective as he was on the rare occassions he pitched it up.
KiWiNiNjA
International Coach
McCullum won't be opening.
Watling isn't even in the squad, though he should be.
Boult isn't in the squad, and he shouldn't be.
It will be
Guptill
Ryder
Williamson
Taylor
McCullum
Anderson
Ronchi
Neesham
NcCullum
Mills
McClenaghan
With Southee missing the first two matches.