*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[straw man]

O'Rourke! Raw, but hopefully we can get the best out of him.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

O'Rourke! Raw, but hopefully we can get the best out of him.

Second test only, I wonder if this means the first test is Wagner’s final chance …

 

[Chubb]

Pick Nathan Smith you cowards.

 

[Skyliner]

Surprised they axed Nicholls, due to the standard NZ conservatism that I expect in our selectors, but it’s the right move. We need renewal to be in the best possible place for taking on Aus in Aus in 2027. It is 4 tests and will be calamitous for NZ cricket if we go there and get drubbed. It’ll be a monumental embarrassment and we’ll embarrass Australian Cricket as well, who won’t give us another chance like this if we blow it. Nicholls abysmal away record has doomed him, Ravindra is the future and we need to get him in there and stick with him.

 

[straw man]

Second test only, I wonder if this means the first test is Wagner’s final chance …

I couldn't find media on who's unavailable after the first test, other than the last sentence below.

Having been brought into the line-up for Henry Nicholls, he (Rachin) is set to bat in the middle order for the first time in his Test career, with Will Young providing batting cover.

Ravindra will be joined in the BLACKCAPS squad by Glenn Phillips, who is line to play his first Test on home soil after making his debut against Australia in 2019-20 and playing in both Tests on the early season tour to Bangladesh.

He was Player of the Match in the BLACKCAPS’ most recent Test - the four-wicket win at Mirpur.

A squad of 13 will assemble for each Test, with pace bowler Will O’Rourke joining the squad for the second match at Hamilton’s Seddon Park, and one player coming out of the squad from Tauranga.

Looks like Rachin will bat 4 or 5.

 

[Skyliner]

Second test only, I wonder if this means the first test is Wagner’s final chance …

More renewal taking place for sure, Wagner is being gently nudged towards the exit. The axing of Nicholls tells the established group that no-one is irreplaceable.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I'd say the selection choice for the 1st test is between Wagner and Santner, while the selection choice for the 2nd test is between Wagner and O'Rourke.

The 4-7 will be Ravindra, Mitchell, Blundell, Phillips with the question being over what order they bat in.

 

[_Ed_]

I like this squad much better than most of the ones we've come up with in the last year to 18 months. Not convinced by Santner in tests, but he's clearly a better option than Macewell in that role.

 

[Athlai]

Santner also shown that hes added a bit to his wicket taking arsenal with his slower deliveries really ripping, his batting has also been pretty good.

Still with Ravindra/Phillips around - its kind of hard to see a place for him in home games.

 

[Neil Young]

O'Rourke! Raw, but hopefully we can get the best out of him.

O'Rawke

 

[straw man]

Santner also shown that hes added a bit to his wicket taking arsenal with his slower deliveries really ripping, his batting has also been pretty good.

Still with Ravindra/Phillips around - its kind of hard to see a place for him in home games.

with that sort of ambivalence you can hand in your card as head of the Santner fan club tyvm

it's almost reasonable

 

[Athlai]

This is NZ

Spin isn't real
Santa isn't real

 

[Athlai]

BUT I BELIEVE IN SANTA

 

[Flem274*]

Pretty fair squad. I'd have Smith in for Wagner now though.

 

[jcas0167]

Surprised they axed Nicholls, due to the standard NZ conservatism that I expect in our selectors, but it’s the right move. We need renewal to be in the best possible place for taking on Aus in Aus in 2027. It is 4 tests and will be calamitous for NZ cricket if we go there and get drubbed. It’ll be a monumental embarrassment and we’ll embarrass Australian Cricket as well, who won’t give us another chance like this if we blow it. Nicholls abysmal away record has doomed him, Ravindra is the future and we need to get him in there and stick with him.

I think Wells made some comments after the Bangladesh tests essentially defending Nicholls' overall record which suggested they might retain him for the home summer. Clearly behind the scenes though the Bangladesh series was his last chance.

Hard to see Nicholls regaining his spot barring injury so congratulations to him on his plucky efforts at test level - particularly against South Africa early on.

 

[ataraxia]

Oh wow that's a great squad. Even I would have selected Nicholls here lol, but I'm guessing the runs he's scored recently have largely been under no pressure after he's been told that he'd be dropped. Obvs N Smith in for Wagner would make it elite but I'm not complaining at this point.

Santner is a gun selection ftr; I think he'll be selected for Mt. Maunganui before dropping out of the squad. Hopefully RSA put up enough of a fight to let him and Phillips have a good bowl.

Excited to see how Rachin goes at #4.

 

[straw man]

I think Wells made some comments after the Bangladesh tests essentially defending Nicholls' overall record which suggested they might retain him for the home summer. Clearly behind the scenes though the Bangladesh series was his last chance.

Wells might have meant that Nicholls had his FULL CONFIDENCE i.e. was positioned right on the chopping block.

 

[Flem274*]

I think Wells was just doing good man management I.e. not eviscerating someone he still might want to select again in the media.

If/when the team struggles against Aus, if Nicholls piles on the runs for Canterbury and someone absolutely battles for NZ then he's back in the frame.

We shouldn't be too online with our player assessments. Some guys can be midtable players.

 

[James]

If you're playing Phillips and Ravindra, surely there's no need to play Santner? Especially in NZ conditions. Phillips and Ravindra can carry the spin load I would have thought.

Latham
Conway
Williamson
Mitchell
Ravindra
Phillips
Blundell
Jamieson
Southee
Henry
Wagner

 

[The Hutt Rec]

I think Wells was just doing good man management I.e. not eviscerating someone he still might want to select again in the media.

If/when the team struggles against Aus, if Nicholls piles on the runs for Canterbury and someone absolutely battles for NZ then he's back in the frame.

We shouldn't be too online with our player assessments. Some guys can be midtable players.

Given Nicholls’ struggles overseas I don’t think there’s any way he should be picked for our six sub-continent tests coming up. Ravindra is coming in as a straight swap from what I’ve read. He’s good in those conditions and deserves a decent crack at it even if he doesn’t do well vs Australia.

Nicholls has passed 50 once in his last 20 test innings going back 2 years, so I don’t think we should see him again.

But I agree, congrats to him on a decent career. Scored plenty of important hundreds for NZ. Just a shame he wasn’t able to contribute a bit more consistently or away from home. But he will certainly go down as one of our more successful top order batsmen, I think.