*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[anonymouskefe]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Moss]

With this Champions Trophy squad quite possibly being the best all-round squad we've assembled in terms of XI balance and form, how many do we think will feature at the 2027 WC? And who are alternatives?

Player	Age	2027 WC Age	Squad prediction
Will Young	32	34/35	Knowing his career, probably dropped by this point and moved on from; Heaphy or Mariu
Rachin Ravindra	25	27/28	For sure
Kane Williamson	34	37	Unless he's retired, he's there
Daryl Mitchell	33	36	Something tells me he won't be there - retired or dip in form. Dean Foxcroft if he gets back into form
Tom Latham	32	35	Short format retired, replaced by Hay or Chu
Glenn Phillips	28	30	Batting 4 or 5
Michael Bracewell	34	36	Probably the hardest to predict of the lot - depends on form, he's great balance to the side - otherwise Abbas or Clarkson
Mitch Santner	33	35	Captaincy and format swansong imo
Matt Henry	33	35	Deserves a WC win but can his body do the distance. Would like to think Shipley
Kyle Jamieson	30	32	Not sure if he deserves to be in the side atm tbh, but will probs be in the squad if fit
Will O'Rourke	23	25	Yes, his ODI form and experience will improve
Devon Conway	33	36	Dropped or retired; Heaphy or Mariu
Mark Chapman	30	33	Hunch says no; Jacobs maybe in the squad
Nathan Smith	26	29	Hopefully the first choice first change by this point
Jacob Duffy	30	33	See Will Young; Foulkes
Ben Sears	27	29	Opening the bowling w/O'Rourke
Lockie Ferguson	33	36	Injured, Retired, T20 only at this point; Fisher, or Ashok as the sole specialist spinner (if Bracewell isn't there)

I'm a little concerned about the pace bowling depth in white-ball, an over-reliance on Henry who is 33 now. There are options of course. O'Rourke has good quick-bowling attributes but the coaching staff need to work out what the best use of him is, across formats. Sears seemed pretty guileless in the few ODIs he played in Pakistan. Smith again was a bit miscast though he'll probably find his niche soon. Duffy is somehow not trusted enough. Milne of course is thereabouts but I think like a few others they may have drawn a line against his name, being a T20 league mercenary. Ferguson treading on similar ground now. Foulkes is someone to watch for sure.

But for the first time since around 2012-13, I feel like it lacking a bit of an edge. Guess it's a testament to how exciting those couple of years were when you had Boult, McCleneghan, Henry, Milne and others emerging, suddenly giving NZ the ability to bowl sides out regularly.

One big positive for me was Jamieson's comeback. Apart from getting hammered by Miller in the death overs, I think he acquitted himself pretty well in a format that isn't his best. Bowled with reasonable control in the final and showed some nous in dropping his pace in the powerplay, and using the short ball against Hardik in the slog. Here's hoping he stays fit and graduates to the leader of the test attack.

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah, I think we're hitting an awkward patch where we've got younger guys with loads of potential but who seems more suited to either the longest format or the shortest format but haven't quite got the ODI format down. You'd hope in two years they'd get that experience and game under their belt but it's not a guarantee.

We could really do with Shipley back and at his best as I feel he's the best like for like replacement for Henry

 

[SteveNZ]

I have to admit I was one of the ones beating the drum for Nathan Smith, but I feel as if he's got a long way to come in white ball cricket. He's really, really hittable and especially when it's not doing a lot. His batting isn't good enough to bolster his credentials for a spot in the XI, doesn't bowl effective death (yet) etc.

Still think he's got a future in Tests, but even then he needs to add strings to his bow in being able to be effective with an older ball, whether that's hitting a hard back of length or trying a Wagner style approach.

I'm not even sure if we have enough ODI cricket this side of the 2027 World Cup to even care too much about analysing further who might be the next wave

 

[straw man]

I thought and still think Smith deserves chances in test cricket, but I haven't seen anything to suggest he's a white ball bowler yet.

 

[Skyliner]

Contract rebels return, Bracewell to captain NZ’s T20 series against Pakistan

A core of senior players are unavailable for the end of the Kiwi summer.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Black Caps squad for T20 series vs Pakistan: Michael Bracewell (captain), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes (games 4 & 5), Mitch Hay, Matt Henry (games 4 & 5), Kyle Jamieson (games 1, 2 & 3), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke (games 1, 2 & 3), Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

 

[vandem]

From NZC announcement:
"Wells confirmed Allen, Neesham and Seifert were back in the mix after committing to the T20 programme and lead-up to the World Cup. "
but no place for Milne.

With non-contracted Allen and Seifert back in NZC radar range and Hay retained in the 13 player squad (for games 1-3), no place for Clarkson, McConchie, Young, Nicholls or Foxcroft who were on recent under-strength white ball tours to Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

 

[vandem]

The squad for the 2nd part of the Pakistan tour will be interesting. 3 ODIs at Napier, Hamilton and the Mount.

Bracewell to be substitute captain again, or Latham?
Kane available, perhaps for home games at Hamilton and the Mount?
Robinson to open with Young, or Allen for some comedy biffing, or first cap for Mariu?
Hay in the squad (allowing Latham to be captain and batter-only)?
Second spinner to partner Bracewell (the other three Champions Trophy spinners have gone to IPL, so could be Lennox for SLA / ROB combination)?
Pick one or two Ford Trophy players to get some squad time (perhaps Matt Boyle or Dale Phillips, Lennox), similar to Jacobs in T20I earlier this season?

 

[Bahnz]

Mariu has a dreadful list A record, no case for a debut there. Tbh, so does Hay.

If you wanted to fire a shot in the dark with a talented young player, you could always opt for MoAb. He's coming off an excellent Ford Trophy campaign, and gives you a handy bowling option. Could also give Jacobs a shot as a middle-order ice-cream cake (though I see he's unavailable due to IPL duty).

But really, the only guy in domestix who's performances demand a shot atm is Bruce.

 

[ataraxia]

Honestly, Bruce has more potential value to the Black Caps than Neesham or Seifert at this point. I sincerely hope he continues to dominate domestic level, making Stead and co. look like colossal dumbarses and they eventually pick him at 37 or something silly.

(Also, a quality T20 finisher remains a very valuable player, no matter that we've got a surfeit of them at the moment.)

 

[Bahnz]

Bracewell's success (in white ball cricket at least) shows just how ridiculously above average his generation of cricketers are compared to what came
before (and I fear what might come after). That a guy who slogged away without doing anything noteworthy in domestic cricket for a full decade, could then be picked on a hunch and immediately prove himself to be a valuable white ball cricketer at the international level...I mean it just didn't work like that in the 90's and 00's. The same is true with guys like Mitchell and de Grandhomme. NZ cricket has clearly been producing an extremely high standard of domestic cricketers, which is all the more reason to give Bruce a crack, especially given there's a T20 WC coming up in a year.

 

[honestbharani]

Contract rebels return, Bracewell to captain NZ’s T20 series against Pakistan

A core of senior players are unavailable for the end of the Kiwi summer.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Black Caps squad for T20 series vs Pakistan: Michael Bracewell (captain), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes (games 4 & 5), Mitch Hay, Matt Henry (games 4 & 5), Kyle Jamieson (games 1, 2 & 3), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke (games 1, 2 & 3), Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Why the few players changing from first 3 and last 2 games?


Edit - I see it's workload management...nvm

 

[Chubb]

I thought and still think Smith deserves chances in test cricket, but I haven't seen anything to suggest he's a white ball bowler yet.

He'll be the greatest of them all. Have faith.

 

[vandem]

Mariu has a dreadful list A record, no case for a debut there. Tbh, so does Hay.


If you wanted to fire a shot in the dark with a talented young player, you could always opt for MoAb. He's coming off an excellent Ford Trophy campaign, and gives you a handy bowling option. ...

Mariu still early List A career, but coming off 87 (83), 69 (41), 24 (36) and in last PS game 8 (11) + 85 (80). Probably too early, but in 2 years time could replace Young as steady-the-ship ODI opener alongside Ravindra.

Hay didn't have a great Ford Trophy, but 86* (76) good innings in final when Canty next batters were Foulkes then 4 bowlers.

Forgot about MoAb, useful to have batting all rounder with left arm bowling, gives some variation in middle overs like Corey Anderson did in mid 2010s.

 

[NZTailender]

Interesting they still view Neesham as an option. Hoping the ODI squad has a few bolters.