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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

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Hmm.
 

RMBolton

U19 Debutant
Considering the alternatives are:
  1. Make a <10,000 Test ground & keep LOIs at Eden Park
  2. Break with Eden Park & build a 20-30,000 ground like the ones in England
Of course they're going with the easiest of the options, especially if it can help get it done by the 2028 T20WC & those precious 3rd Tests vs the Big 3 that they can have in Auckland.
 

Moss

International Vice-Captain
I don't think there's any doubt Nathan Smith has 'served his time'. He's played 53 FC games. He's not getting picked, even though he is undoubtedly a better cricketer than Tim Southee is right now, because a) Stead got himself in a bind with Southee being the Test captain and it's hard to drop him but moreso b) Southee has social cache that Stead doesn't in the environment. Nathan Smith is suffering from a 35-year-old who can't step away, who averaged 52 with the ball in Tests last summer, was dropped for the opener in the T20 World event, and went for 100 in a World Cup semi.
The treatment of Smith aside, it must be a worry that Southee is set to continue as captain (and therefore first name on the team sheet) for three series in the subcontinent. He’s done very well before in India and SL, but really has his work cut now the way he’s been bowling lately. It was a obviously a difficult decision at the time when Kane gave up the test captaincy and with Latham proving uninspired, but given what usually happens with quick bowlers as they age it looks an even more questionable decision to give him the captaincy.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
The treatment of Smith aside, it must be a worry that Southee is set to continue as captain (and therefore first name on the team sheet) for three series in the subcontinent. He’s done very well before in India and SL, but really has his work cut now the way he’s been bowling lately. It was a obviously a difficult decision at the time when Kane gave up the test captaincy and with Latham proving uninspired, but given what usually happens with quick bowlers as they age it looks an even more questionable decision to give him the captaincy.
100% agree. I know we've said this on and off for years, but at 35 - coming up 36 later in the year - he just doesn't have a zip that is required to take Test wickets against good sides. That was incredibly evident in the home series against Australia and SA, where he took 6 wickets in 8 innings. Some might say 'what about Jimmy Anderson' but Jimmy didn't play limited overs cricket of any nature much past his 32nd birthday. Southee still insists on playing all formats.

The thing is, Southee isn't even a good captain. There's no Mike Brierley here. Yes, Latham is bog average too, but at least Latham can say he's probably the best opener in the country. I can't imagine a viable case being mounted for Southee being better than Smith, or in fact Duffy.

But as I've said before, Stead doesn't have the chutzpah to drop Southee. So we have to live with the consequences.
 

Flem274*

123/5
8 of our 17 games are t20 which is nearly half the schedule and only adds up to 24 hours of cricket (which is roughly 3.5-4 days of a test).

Jfc
 

RMBolton

U19 Debutant
Blame the Champions Trophy buildup. Worst part is, it'll be the same in 2025-6, except the boys leave in January for India to play 3 ODIs & 5 T20s against them, & 3 T20s vs Afghanistan.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
To be fair, our splits don't look unfavourable across the FTP (presuming that's the games we are actually playing) with the big 3 only playing more Tests than us from 2023-27.


Six ODIs against decent sides I don't mind this summer, but yeah...no more Tests past Dec 18 is dire.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
No games from Jan 11 to Feb 8 in Pakistan, and Dubai for the ILT20 being just on its doorstep.

Super Smash runs during that time, are we to expect to see our contracted guys decide to grace our own competition, or are they going to be lily-livered and let those guys make a quick earn?
 

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