*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Blain]

At least Larsen didn't pick Anaru Kitchen again.. Although Blundell is a similar selection really, because he really has done nothing to suggest he should be anywhere near the ODI squad.

The rest of the squad picks itself, we are short an opener and middle order stability to push us past a 4-6 finish in this tournament IMO.

Hesson leaving when he did put us into a conservative approach from Stead, sticking with the status quo instead of trying potential players.

 

[Chewie]

Neeshams not playing in the IPL, is he? Swear I saw him walking into Newmarket Les Mills this morning.

He was talking about university assignments on twitter the other day

 

[Mike5181]

Something like this then:

1. Martin Guptill
2. Henry Nicholls
3. Kane Williamson (c)
4. Ross Taylor
5. Tom Latham
6. James Neesham
7. Collin de Grandhomme
8. Mitchell Santner
9. Tim Southee/Matt Henry/Ish Sodhi
10. Lockie Ferguson
11. Trent Boult

12.Tim Southee/Matt Henry/Ish Sodhi
13. --------------
14. Collin Munro
15. Tom Blundell

 

[thundaboult]

Decent squad except the Blundell selection...hope is the only thing I expect from Munro and Degrandhomme at this point. The others are deserving though. Don't wanna sound like a mood-kill but nowhere near as hyped for this squad as I was in 2015. I know that was a home tournament and we had Baz n all that but still...i know I'll find my way to get just as hyped and back these lads. GO THE BLACKCAPS

 

[straw man]

Squad very much as expected apart from Blundell. Very odd to fall back to him having never played an ODI and with a poor List A record, even when all the other keeping options (Seifert, Phillips, Watling, Nicholls) come with their own flaws. Someone wrap Latham in cotton wool please. But yes, at least Blundell is sound behind the stumps.

Squad selection made easier with Anderson and Milne never fit long enough to be in consideration. I thought they might end up taking both Sodhi and Astle as an indecisive half measure, but Blundell got that fifteenth spot.

Something like this then:

1. Martin Guptill
2. Henry Nicholls
3. Kane Williamson (c)
4. Ross Taylor
5. Tom Latham
6. James Neesham
7. Collin de Grandhomme
8. Mitchell Santner
9. Tim Southee/Matt Henry/Ish Sodhi
10. Lockie Ferguson
11. Trent Boult

12.Tim Southee/Matt Henry/Ish Sodhi
13. --------------
14. Collin Munro
15. Tom Blundell

Yes that's the one.

I see DE GROMMEND, as he is now known, has been rubbish in the IPL so far and there's lingering questions about him against spin and his ability to handle pressure. Another bowler or Munro could get a chance there if he starts the World Cup badly.

 

[jcas0167]

At least Larsen didn't pick Anaru Kitchen again.. Although Blundell is a similar selection really, because he really has done nothing to suggest he should be anywhere near the ODI squad.

The rest of the squad picks itself, we are short an opener and middle order stability to push us past a 4-6 finish in this tournament IMO.

Hesson leaving when he did put us into a conservative approach from Stead, sticking with the status quo instead of trying potential players.

It's almost as I they didn't notice NZ beat India when Seifert opened and batted like Baz.

 

[Jezroy]

It's almost as I they didn't notice NZ beat India when Seifert opened and batted like Baz.

The squad is okay. I would have rather had Seifert over Munro, and Watling over Blundell.

I just don't get why they didn't try Blundell at some point? I know he was injured at times during the season, but was he injured the whole time we were playing ODIs?

And I don't know why Munro is going. He looked really uncomfortable/unsure of what he was doing for most of the season. He had one good innings against SL, and that's his only half century in his last 17 games. And there was the odd 20 or 30, but really... I struggle to see how he's going to go against the top sides. Half the time he looked like he was holding back, other times he looked like he was going too hard. The 87 he got against SL was a good innings where he balanced attack and defence. But I just feel a bit meh about that selection.

Just get the feeling that after 13 ODIs this summer to figure things out - they haven't figured very much out at all.

Also worried about the bowling of Neesham and the quality and form of CDG. And Southee as well. There seem to be a lot of players in our team who haven't set the world alight in recent times. Willing to wait and see, but I'm worried that we end up around 6th after the round robin, when I think we should be around 3rd or 4th.

 

[Moss]

Yeah just too many holes compared to 2015. Ferguson, Santner and Sodhi are the only real positive additions since then. Mccullum and Elliott were vital during that campaign and haven't been adequately replaced, though I'm hoping Neesham might have turned a corner. Also, would've have any day preferred Watling over Blundell but hopefully NZ don't find themselves in a situation where the reserve wicketkeeper is required.

The thing I'm more concerned about though is Kane's fitness and whether that's being managed well enough in India.

 

[Andy1993]

Good squad that i think. Happy to see Blundell there. His keeping far superior to Seifert's and he can strike it well too. Sodhi over Astle good call too. Yes Sodhi is hopeless with the bat, but gives it a good rip, and has performed wel over last 12 months or so, Milne, would have wanted in, but he just cant stay fit, so Ferguson is the extreme pace opton...good all-rounders too, looks a good squad IMO

 

[TheBrand]

Squad very much as expected apart from Blundell. Very odd to fall back to him having never played an ODI and with a poor List A record, even when all the other keeping options (Seifert, Phillips, Watling, Nicholls) come with their own flaws. Someone wrap Latham in cotton wool please. But yes, at least Blundell is sound behind the stumps.

Squad selection made easier with Anderson and Milne never fit long enough to be in consideration. I thought they might end up taking both Sodhi and Astle as an indecisive half measure, but Blundell got that fifteenth spot.



Yes that's the one.

I see DE GROMMEND, as he is now known, has been rubbish in the IPL so far and there's lingering questions about him against spin and his ability to handle pressure. Another bowler or Munro could get a chance there if he starts the World Cup badly.

He's scored more runs in the IPL than his team mates Moeen Ali and Shimron Hetmyer....

 

[NZTailender]

I really thought this would be our year because as good as the '15 side was I feel like it had more potential than experience, and that they'd all be at the top of their games this time round. To some extent that's true but as Moss has said we haven't adequately replace Baz and Elliott.

In some ways the feel of the squad and preparation feels similar to the 07 campaign.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

I really thought this would be our year because as good as the '15 side was I feel like it had more potential than experience, and that they'd all be at the top of their games this time round. To some extent that's true but as Moss has said we haven't adequately replace Baz and Elliott.

In some ways the feel of the squad and preparation feels similar to the 07 campaign.

It’s weird to think that 07 squad went further than the 03 one ... for some reason, for me at least, it felt like we were much bigger challengers in 03. Although the results don’t really agree with that.

Maybe this squad will surprise as well.

 

[Bahnz]

I really thought this would be our year because as good as the '15 side was I feel like it had more potential than experience, and that they'd all be at the top of their games this time round. To some extent that's true but as Moss has said we haven't adequately replace Baz and Elliott.

In some ways the feel of the squad and preparation feels similar to the 07 campaign.

Also haven't really found a replacement for '15 Anderson either - Neesham is starting to show some promise with the bat but he's still cannon fodder with the ball. Southee has gone backwards as well. '15 definitely the better side, but this team still has a chance given what Boult, Guptill and Taylor are capable of.

 

[Bahnz]

It’s weird to think that 07 squad went further than the 03 one ... for some reason, for me at least, it felt like we were much bigger challengers in 03. Although the results don’t really agree with that.

Maybe this squad will surprise as well.

Nah, '07 was definitely the more well-rounded side, and I remember it being expected that they'd make the semi's before the tournament. Vettori was a much better bowler by 2007. Bond, Styris, McMillan and Fleming were at least as good as they had been 4 years prior. McCullum and Oram had both vastly matured as cricketers. Sure Peter Fulton was no Nathan Astle, but then again Astle was always crap in world cups anyway. The only real weak point was Franklin as Bond's opening partner.

'03 by comparison was just hugely reliant on Fleming and Bond. McCullum was still really a year away from being ready for internationals. Cairns couldn't bowl. Oram couldn't really bat. Vettori had yet to find his mark as an ODI wicket taker. We had nobody to open the batting with Fleming, so in a panicked state we pushed McMillan in there with predictably disastrous results.

 

[NZTailender]

Nah, '07 was definitely the more well-rounded side, and I remember it being expected that they'd make the semi's before the tournament. Vettori was a much better bowler by 2007. Bond, Styris, McMillan and Fleming were at least as good as they had been 4 years prior. McCullum and Oram had both vastly matured as cricketers. Sure Peter Fulton was no Nathan Astle, but then again Astle was always crap in world cups anyway. The only real weak point was Franklin as Bond's opening partner.

'03 by comparison was just hugely reliant on Fleming and Bond. McCullum was still really a year away from being ready for internationals. Cairns couldn't bowl. Oram couldn't really bat. Vettori had yet to find his mark as an ODI wicket taker. We had nobody to open the batting with Fleming, so in a panicked state we pushed McMillan in there with predictably disastrous results.

Why did we demote Astle to 3? Spent most of his career opening up until that point and then suddenly....he bats three.

I guess we were worried about depth and our two best bats being at 1 and 2.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

In 2007 we also went in having just beaten Australia 3-0 in that CH series (admittedly Ponting, Symonds and Gilchrist were missing) so were definitely contenders, but got destroyed by Mahela J in the semi.

In 2003 we should have beaten Australia after Bond's 6fer and missed points after Kenya went through and we forfeited a match there - after South Africa got knocked out we were probably the 3rd best team in the tournament behind Aus and India but missed the semis

 

[Bahnz]

In 2007 we also went in having just beaten Australia 3-0 in that CH series (admittedly Ponting, Symonds and Gilchrist were missing) so were definitely contenders, but got destroyed by Mahela J in the semi.

In 2003 we should have beaten Australia after Bond's 6fer and missed points after Kenya went through and we forfeited a match there - after South Africa got knocked out we were probably the 3rd best team in the tournament behind Aus and India but missed the semis

That game was just the most spectacular example of how poor our bowling attack was once you set aside Shane Bond. But the same message came through in all 3 of our defeats - if you could see if Bond (or even just survive him - Bond took 2/44 v Sri Lanka, 6/23 v Aus and 2/23 v India) there wasn't a lot the rest of the bowling attack had to offer.

 

[straw man]

Ah the famous Andre Adams double bouncer match.

When your opposition are 112/7 and you still know you're going to lose cos you only have one batsman and one bowler (who's bowled out), and now the wheels are falling off.

 

[straw man]

He's scored more runs in the IPL than his team mates Moeen Ali and Shimron Hetmyer....

Not getting any credit for a 37 when the match is already lost, otherwise 2 and 4. I didn't see it but his 2 from 7 at the death when Bumrah hit the blockhole a lot sounds reminiscent of him not closing out that ODI in India, when we had a five match series there a while back.

He's great to watch when he hits, such a clean striker, but has not in my memory won an ODI or T20I from a tight situation in his career to date.

 

[jcas0167]

The 07 side probably could have included Ryder. Pitches in the Windies would have suited him.