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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

The Hutt Rec

International Vice-Captain
Lol at simping for Baz, he probably was the one who didn't want you in the team.
I’d say so, he seemed to have a pretty big say in selections.

I’d like to have seen him play a few more, but with Williamson, Taylor and McCullum there wasn’t much room. And then did his red ball form fall off when McCullum retired, or am I imagining that?
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I’d say so, he seemed to have a pretty big say in selections.

I’d like to have seen him play a few more, but with Williamson, Taylor and McCullum there wasn’t much room. And then did his red ball form fall off when McCullum retired, or am I imagining that?
I think Munro had already retired from FC cricket when McCullum retired.
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
I think he kept on at FC cricket until Colin and Nicholls entrenched themselves in the side, after which the writing was on the wall.
 

jcas0167

International Debutant
I think Munro had already retired from FC cricket when McCullum retired.
Per the article he retired from FC cricket in 2018 after the management (Larsen and Hesson?) said his style wouldn't work in tests. I think Nicholls was averaging about 35 when they picked him over Munro who was averaging around 50? Nicholls did work out pretty well though the first few seasons.

But after McCullum retired in 2016, Munro found himself looking at some of the players New Zealand picked and thinking: "'How did they get there?' I felt like I had to ask some tough questions to the management, and they just said that my method - the way that I played first-class cricket - wouldn't work at Test level."

In early 2018, he decided to pull the plug on his first-class career. "I knew that Test cricket was long gone. There was no point playing ten first-class games a season and putting my body at risk of injury. Everything happens for a reason - my wife tells me that - and since I've gone on my white-ball journey, things have worked out pretty well."
 
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SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Per the article he retired from FC cricket in 2018 after the management (Larsen and Hesson?) said his style wouldn't work in tests. I think Nicholls was averaging about 35 when they picked him over Munro who was averaging around 50? Nicholls did work out pretty well though the first few seasons.
I'm a pretty big Manu fanboy, so maybe my opinions should be taken with a grain of salt.

But I truly believe that Manu's sole Test actually counted against him in terms of future Test selection. Someone like Nicholls was picked with far less weight of runs, and him on the back of a slapdash big ton v Sri Lanka A that was no different to the way Colin played. Would Manu have scored 7-8 Test tons and against good opposition like Nicholls has? I have my doubts...but there were times where he deserved to be picked. And I saw him bat at EPOO plenty of times - he wasn't a slogger. You don't score 260 slogging.

I guess one thing you could say is that if he'd kept his bowling up, there might've been more opportunities. Remembering he debuted as a No.11 who bowled for Auckland, off the back of a 7-for in a club one-day final. I guess the trade-off was more focus on his batting, which has earned him a lot of money. And I reckon he sleeps OK.

Incidentally, Manu wasn't 'simping' for Bazball. He was simply saying his style would suit the way some teams want to play Test cricket now.
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Munro was probably unlucky. He looked heinous in his one and only test, but that was against arguably the all time #2 pace bowling attack, and he scored a ridiculous number of runs in the ensuing seasons. At the time those performances were dismissed because “lol plunket runs”, there’s a lot more faith in the standard of plunket cricket these days, and if there’d been a late 20’s moneyball phenomenon like Munro playing last year then Nicholls test career would probably already be over.
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Munro was probably unlucky. He looked heinous in his one and only test, but that was against arguably the all time #2 pace bowling attack, and he scored a ridiculous number of runs in the ensuing seasons. At the time those performances were dismissed because “lol plunket runs”, there’s a lot more faith in the standard of plunket cricket these days, and if there’d been a late 20’s moneyball phenomenon like Munro playing last year then Nicholls test career would probably already be over.
People are still doing that. The Stuff version of that article has the great unwashed going "yEaH bUt He AvErAgEd FiFtY oN dOmEsTiC fEaThErBeDs" conveniently ignoring the lack of other 50+ averaging batsmen knocking about
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
People are still doing that. The Stuff version of that article has the great unwashed going "yEaH bUt He AvErAgEd FiFtY oN dOmEsTiC fEaThErBeDs" conveniently ignoring the lack of other 50+ averaging batsmen knocking about
Meant specifically the selectors.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Would be useful if Rippon remembered how to bowl in the next couple of months but we probably won't even have a way to find out if he does. Between this and Williamson I reckon NZ are done this cycle, which is a shame because they still have a gun ODI side at full strength.
 

_Ed_

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Not his biggest fan, but there's no denying his value in ODIs, and he was going to be an important part of the World Cup squad.

And I feel really sorry for him personally too - missing out on what might be his only World Cup. Crushing blow for him, poor bloke.
 

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