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who is to blame

Shady Slim

International Coach
inspired by the southee discussions.
you've got an over the hill player. maybe they're a legend, maybe they are just a toiler. but they are done. past it. you know they aren't coming back. maybe they'll have a solid show every now and then, maybe even show the odd flash of their former self, but, they're by and large done. they continue to make themselves available. the selectors, despite how they're performing, resolutely continue to pick them. maybe he or she wants to play out until the next major series in a year and a half's time and retire on the fairytale. maybe it's the cautious approach of the selectors wanting to pick the perceived safe pair of hands rather than risk a young gun, either way, the question is all else equal who do you blame with these situations? (obviously really it's case to case and the answer is always a bit of both but let's talk about it lol)
 

Burgey

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I don't think it's ever a player's fault if they keep putting themselves up for selection. If they shouldn't be picked but continue to be, the fault lies with those whose job it is to pick the team, not the player(s). There would be nothing wrong with a selector sitting down with a senior player like that and telling them the panel is wanting to move in a different direction, so they should consider their options.

If they did that, then it's matter for the player to either call it quits or take their chances having been fully informed of where they stand.
 
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ashley bach

Cricketer Of The Year
Stead will be the answer that rings most but yeah I still think players need to look at themselves and be realistic.
With Southee it's a high and dry case, there's just no maybe he should be there. It's technically not his fault but in all honesty I can't understand
how a player could want to go on and be made a fool of. Ego has a lot to do with it, as it does in many forms of life.
@RossTaylorsBox reckons he's partly hanging around for the extra cash, but if a player who's played for nearly 20 years is worried about a wee
bit of extra dosh at the end of their long career then they've done something wrong along the way.
 

RossTaylorsBox

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Professional athletes look after their own well-being first and foremost, all the talk about competing "for the country" is mere platitudes. It's totally a selector issue. Which is why as an athlete it also pays to be really chummy with the selection team.
 

Skyliner

State Captain

On the 17 of September 2024 the above article was published stating Southee was closing in on taking 400 wickets. At this time he was captain of the Black Caps and retirement wasn't being mentioned. In less than 3 months he has stepped down from the captaincy, then announced he is retiring after one final series, then faced calls that he should be axed from the upcoming test in Hamilton. Previously he had been taking limited numbers of wickets but had managed to do a passable impression of an opening bowler. Now he has lost even more pace and is being carted to all parts by the English batsmen, and there is nowhere to hide. It seems like NZC, Stead, and Southee himself have all been stunned at the extent of his decline and have struggled to manage his exit in such a way that it does not appear he is being bum rushed out the door.
 

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