If we don't have a spinner of international quality, why do we persist in picking them? It's not about "allowing them to develop" - these are the conditions that they will be asked to play in half of their matches, New Zealand conditions. If they're unable to make a big impact in domestic cricket then they should never even get close to selection for test cricket. Sodhi has played 21 first class matches and has yet to get his average under 50 with the ball. There is more to indicate that he is a better option as a batsman who bowls a bit based on his performances so far, although his batting for ND isn't strong enough to reserve a place in the side either.
Meanwhile in the exact same team, with the exact same conditions, you have Kane Williamson who as a part timer, has out performed Sodhi and also out performed him in the tests and almost criminally, Jono Boult is being left out for Sodhi to play, despite being as capable with the bat and having a much better domestic record from his 16 matches.
I'd much rather see us use Kane Williamson as our spin option with some back up from someone like Ryder than give a position to a guy who should be under serious debate for his own province, let alone the national set up. The only way these guys are going to learn cricket isn't to play test cricket, it's to play domestic cricket and string together some consistent performances. As maligned as Vettori is, he goes back to domestic cricket and performs every time. So I don't buy this bull**** that we should select someone who hasn't proven themselves in representitive cricket on the basis of potential and the fact that a few people like the fact that he is a leg spinner who can land three out of six on the wicket.
ps, "Martin would be so ****" - Martin got selected to New Zealand about six years after he should've been, his performances at test level are comparable to Sodhi's at domestic level. Why do we consider Sodhi anything other than a failed prospect?
ND wise, he has all the hallmarks of being someone they're being asked to select. He came down from Auckland because he couldn't get in the side there (Bruce Martin = better) and suddenly he's beating out a flock of young talent that ND had been preparing a number of years like Mitchell Santner (who I'll argue has a better chance at being a consistent performer for ND than Sodhi), Josef Baker and Jono Boult. All of whom to this point have better performances in Hawke Cup and better performances in A cricket than Sodhi does.
Sodhi just reaks of a political choice, because NZ once again are fapping over the prospect of a leg spinner. We've seen this with Brooke Walker who was utterly horrid.
