Neil Wagner Retires

[OverratedSanity]

I think Aus own about 5 of those defeats too.

Didn't Wagner keep getting left out vs Australia in 2015/16? Remember thinking it was ridiculous at the time

 

[James]

One of those cricketers that you felt always gave 100% and left it all out on the field. As OS said, a legend.

Where does he rank in an all-time list alongside other NZ bowlers?

 

[_Ed_]

I think the day/night test against England at Eden Park was one of my favourite spells of his. I was starting to worry that England might hold on for a draw, but Wags was having none of it. He got Stokes and Woakes (who'd both scored frustratingly long-lasting 50s, I think) and brought it home for us.

 

[jcas0167]

Didn't Wagner keep getting left out vs Australia in 2015/16? Remember thinking it was ridiculous at the time

Yeah, that was the tour with the D/N game I was referring to where he likely would have made a big difference. They eventually picked him in the last test of the summer at Hagley Oval. Got Smith out with the short ball.

 

[jcas0167]

Bowled an 11 over spell with two broken toes on day 5 of the test against Pakistan. Won with 27 balls to spare. If that had been a draw I don't think we would have made the WTC final.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan also echoed Williamson’s views as he said his attitude sets him apart from others.
“I just told him he’s mad. He’s a different guy. His attitude is everything, his aggression is very beautiful,” Rizwan said.

'He's mad!' - New Zealand's Neil Wagner hailed as 'inspiration' for bowling with fractured toe

New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner is being hailed as a hero after the Black Caps won the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the Bay Oval by 101 runs. Wagner defied all the odds and shrugged off the pain of two broken toes to help New Zealand win the first Test against Pakistan and become the number...

www.wionews.com

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, that was the tour with the D/N game I was referring to where he likely would have made a big difference. They eventually picked him in the last test of the summer at Hagley Oval. Got Smith out with the short ball.

Yeah, he had a pretty deep dip in form between the winter tour in WI in 2014 and the 14/15 home summer (though he was clearly coming out of it by the end of the Plunket Shield). Matt Henry had just come onto the scene and the selectors got a bit carried away and decided to leave Wagner on the bench for the England and Australia tours. Hindsight's 20:20, but he probably would've made a massive difference in both of those series.

 

[Athlai]

One of those cricketers that you felt always gave 100% and left it all out on the field. As OS said, a legend.

Where does he rank in an all-time list alongside other NZ bowlers?

Better outright than any besides Hadlee, Cowie, Taylor, Boult, Southee, Bond and C Cairns.

Arguably better than some of them.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah, he had a pretty deep dip in form between the winter tour in WI in 2014 and the 14/15 home summer (though he was clearly coming out of it by the end of the Plunket Shield). Matt Henry had just come onto the scene and the selectors got a bit carried away and decided to leave Wagner on the bench for the England and Australia tours. Hindsight's 20:20, but he probably would've made a massive difference in both of those series.

Henry was rotten too

 

[jcas0167]

Yeah, he had a pretty deep dip in form between the winter tour in WI in 2014 and the 14/15 home summer (though he was clearly coming out of it by the end of the Plunket Shield). Matt Henry had just come onto the scene and the selectors got a bit carried away and decided to leave Wagner on the bench for the England and Australia tours. Hindsight's 20:20, but he probably would've made a massive difference in both of those series.

That's right, also Dougeh had done so well in 2011 so they went with him too.

 

[Flem274*]

Dougeh actually bowled the best in thst 2015 aus tour, in that McCullum could actually set a field to him.

I've never quite forgiven the two ND boys for their meltdown. Down on pace after injury is understandable, but they were bowling both sides of the pitch.

 

[thierry henry]

Yeah, he had a pretty deep dip in form between the winter tour in WI in 2014 and the 14/15 home summer (though he was clearly coming out of it by the end of the Plunket Shield). Matt Henry had just come onto the scene and the selectors got a bit carried away and decided to leave Wagner on the bench for the England and Australia tours. Hindsight's 20:20, but he probably would've made a massive difference in both of those series.

tbf WagnerBall as we know it didn't start proper until that one test against Sri Lanka in 2015/16, which was between the away and home Australia tours, when Chameera started the whole thing off by bouncing us out. Prior to that Wagner was still a decent bowler with the ability to bounce people out, but we didn't fully understand the very specific skills he had.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, fair call, though the basic blueprint was definitely there from the 2014 8 wicket haul v India at Eden Park.

Ah I got all warm and fuzzy just thinking about day 4 of that test. The day a legend was born. It definitely led to a dramatic shift in the way the forum saw him.

I remember on day 2 of that game somebody unironically saying that Corey Anderson was a better bowler than him.

 

[Burgey]

Terrific bowler for NZ and always entertaining. Will miss his energy and passion.

 

[Gnske]

The fact that Wagner must retire but Southee isn't offered voluntary redundancy

 

[NZTailender]

Wagner v Wade.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1762282459176009862

Shortball masterclass v Smith.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1762145569810559246

**** I'll miss him. My favourite bowler since Bond.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Some career he had. Well played sir, well played.

 

[Bahnz]

Wagner broke down in tears as he thanked his family, his friends, coaches, and mentors who helped him along the journey. He said he hoped the New Zealand public would remember him as someone who gave his all for the cap.

"I've said this in the past, I never saw myself as the most talented or most gifted bloke going around in cricket," Wagner said. "I just saw myself as someone who loved this game and loved playing for this team, loved playing for my mates and for that Black Cap and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I know that I had to work extremely hard and find different ways and different methods."

 

[SteveNZ]

****, I just watched this...I found it hard to watch. What a beautiful, proud man.

 

[Socerer 01]

what a great and unique player, loved watching him bowl

will surely be missed by all

 

[Zinzan]

Neil Wagner retires from international cricket

Neil Wagner has called time on his illustrious 64-Test career for the BLACKCAPS and will bow out following the Tegel Test series against Australia, starting in Wellington on Thursday

www.nzc.nz

Became one of our best ever and innovated Wagnerball

WAFG

More than worthy of it's own thread this news. Total champion, and yet to see any other cricketer in the history of the game show more passion to the cause than this man.