Despite our current frustrations, our selectors going back to Iain O'Brien have shown the Shield is pretty trustworthy for finding the best players (and the Ford Trophy even more so). A bit of a look through the contenders' Shield performances and comparisons to some sure starters.
I think these numbers demonstrate why even fans who are skeptical selectors are concerned. We're just yeeting in random FC players with the only consistent trait being a lot of experience, but even then we're leaving some promising and very experienced players on the sideline.
I also think it is frustratingly promising that despite players who you'd intuitively think would struggle more than others just by looking at the evidence are getting picked ahead of guys you would think are easy choices, the guys I wouldn't expect to be selected are still putting in some good performances. That's a victory for the system.
There are players with good records I left off here to stop it being a doom scroll. I don't think they're on the selection radar and they're not talked about by fans. Ray Toole, Ben Lister, Brett Randell, Fraser Sheat etc. They're core players for their domestic bowling attacks though and have better results than several listed.
Batsmen + Batting Allrounders
Kane Williamson - 2021 @ 54.62 (25 matches, 6 hundreds)
Devon Conway - 2054 @ 66.25 (22 matches, 5 hundreds)
Tom Latham - 3530 @ 47.06 (49 matches, 9 hundreds)
Daryl Mitchell - 3717 @ 37.55 + 74w @ 30.53 (69 matches, 8 hundreds, 1 5fer)
Tom Blundell - 3705 @ 37.42 (66 matches, 10 hundreds)
Henry Nicholls - 3207 @ 36.44 (54 matches, 3 hundreds)
Will Young - 4766 @ 42.17 (72 matches, 9 hundreds)
Glenn Phillips - 2402 @ 44.48 (33 matches, 5 hundreds)
Mark Chapman - 2193 @ 42.17 (33 matches, 4 hundreds)
Tom Bruce - 4537 @ 50.41 (62 matches, 8 hundreds) *Tom Bruce often bats at #5
Michael Bracewell - 5012 @ 33.63 + 26w @ 45.62 (91 matches, 10 hundreds, 1 5fer)
Rachin Ravindra - 1688 @ 37.51 + 30w @ 48.36 (27 matches, 4 hundreds, 0 5fers)
Cole McConchie - 3006 @ 36.65 + 40w @ 34.72 (54 matches, 7 hundreds, 0 5fers)
Bowlers + Bowling Allrounders
Tim Southee - 148w @ 20.83 (34 matches, 1 hundred, 10 5fers)
Trent Boult - 107w @ 23.97 (30 matches, 8 5fers)
Neil Wagner - 344w @ 26.40 (81 matches, 18 5fers)
Matt Henry - 204w @ 22.25 (45 matches, 8 5fers)
Kyle Jamieson - 91w @ 21.77 (25 matches, 6 5fers)
Blair Tickner - 159w @ 35.16 (52 matches, 5fers) *Very slow start to his career, average has plummeted.
Jacob Duffy - 228w @ 32.59 (76 matches, 10 5fers) *Debuted at 17, also a slow start to his career.
Lockie Ferguson - 141w @ 22.18 (35 matches, 11 5fers)
Ben Sears - 48w @ 23.79 (14 matches, 2 5fers)
Scott Kuggeleijn - 255w @ 32.60 + 3060 @ 28.60 (82 matches, 3 hundreds, 9 5fers)
Doug Bracewell - 240w @ 29.90 + 2895 @ 30.79 (72 matches, 2 hundreds, 7 5fers)
Nathan Smith - 75w @ 32.26 + 1272 @ 25.44 (36 matches, 1 hundred, 4 5fers) *Debuted at 17 also. Bowling average in freefall these days.
Henry Shipley - 55w @ 27.47 + 770 @ 25.66 (21 matches, 0 hundreds, 2 5fers)