Cairns & Harris represent yesteryears glories - Cairns hasn't contributed since the VB series and that was only with the bat v RSA. Harris hasn't contributed since the WI tour and that was in a Test match!!!!
Harris used to be NZ's answer to Bevan & his greatest moment came in the loosing semi (I think) to AUS in the WC in India, when who else but Bevan got AUS up to win. Bevan would have to be the bogey man in the AUS team for NZ - they have an effective game plan for just about everyone else in the batting lineup except for him!
Oram is not a strike bowler & his previous successes have come as 1st or 2nd change - certainly he has not been required to bowl so much at 'the death' as he has in this series. Mills is supposedly in the squad as an 'at the death' specialist, same goes for Hitchcock. IMO the selectors on this tour are doing a 'Vincent' on Oram - maybe injuries etc have forced their hand somewhat, but they have had other selection options to enable Oram to continue in his 'normal' role.
From memory Styris has not done much ODI bowling since the WI tour. He did not bowl a lot of overs in either the Home series V India, nor in the WC in RSA. Although he may have started in ODI primarily as a bowler, injuries have made him change his game & now he must be considered a batsman who bowls occaisionally, rather than as one of the 5 primary bowlers - much the same as Astle & Macca.
Vincent has actually looked fairly reasonable in his last couple of outings but has been victim of some dubious (no just plain wrong & bad) umpire decisions.
Nevin is not a ODI opener, and with McCullum finding some runs & the prospect of Adams return, it is difficult to see his career extending much beyond the PAkistan ODI series.
I'm happy enough with the general performance of the team apart from the 2 most crucial areas - the top order batting, and the bowling at the death in the last 10 overs. IMO this is where specialist players MUST be selected.
It is to be hoped that the withdrawl of the middle order from the Pakistan tour will force the selectors into making some positive selections - but not in the middle order to be temporary replacements for those withdrawls. They must select a viable top order to complement the middle & lower orders - if they fail to do so then NZ will not only loose the ODI series in Pakistan, but also the Home series v RSA, if not the Home Tests v Pakistan as well.
In a strange way perhaps their not being available to go to Pakistan is the best thing those 4 players can do at the moment for their confidence & careers!!!!!
Maybe a couple of other players should think along the same lines??????
:baddevil:
