**Official** New Zealand v Pakistan in UAE

[straw man]

Which is something I find quite interesting. I wouldn't mind knowing from someone that isn't a NZ fan (no bias and what not) is this New Zealand team good looking enough, (as having enough fututre talent) to want to coach?

I dunno, but I definitely think that commonly circulated view of the NZ team (and potential team members) as a bunch of untalented honest tryers who put in their best as a team but can't compete with their more talented opponents, is still how most of the world perceives NZ cricket. Who would want to coach a team like that? Doesn't sound very exciting. They would have to dig a bit deeper to get past that preconception.

At the time Moles took over, it would also have been obvious to any potential coach what a deep hole the team was in (esp in regards to test cricket) and IMO would have appeared a hard and thankless task to climb out of that. Again, hardly an attractive proposition.

Most likely NZC aren't offering a great deal of moolah either

 

[Flem274*]

u dont no Moles. i am sure he is doing his best. u should pull you're head in

*high five*

Don't have an opinion on Moles as coach because he's done jack all publicly but if Vettori's claims are ture then thats quite shocking. His history suggests that it wouldn't be surprising if he's annoyed the senior players. Managed it elsewhere.

The perception of the NZ team doesn't help but tbh only a ****** could decide that McCullum, Taylor, Ryder, Bond and co. are boring and untalented. Sure we have our share of Hopkins, McIntosh's and Diamanti's picked occassionally, but we have some pretty interesting players too. Should send these potential coaches on the night out with BFJ

Depends on the coach though. A Steve Rixon would be licking his lips at the prospect of taking a lower team and kicking the top teams asses with it. He came across as that kinda guy.

For future coach, Wright would be the frontrunner. Not sure if he's interested though (along with Mott). Vettori could always do it, look at the CT.

Player-coach is an interesting idea. Not suggesting it but Vettori is the type that could pull it off. He's the hardest bastard in that team by a long way and demands excellence from his players.

Would definitely prefer he had back up though, similar to the Fleming/Rixon combo.

 

[DIRK-NANNES]

Fleming for coach

If he's not keen, I wouldn't mind Helen Clark or a trained monkey either

 

[Flem274*]

Fleming for coach

If he's not keen, I wouldn't mind Helen Clark or a trained monkey either

Where's the difference?

Haha, Fleming as coach could be interesting.

 

[Howsie]

Hasn't Fleming already come out and said he didn't want to coach, well not yet anyway? I remember hearing something last week.

 

[straw man]

Just in case there was any doubt about the wickets expected in the UAE:

That is coupled with the threat of spinners Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi on Abu Dhabi pitches that are expected to mirror the low, slow turners usually found in Pakistan.

That was the case when Australia visited for a neutral tour in April/May – a series where Afridi (10) and Nathan Hauritz (8) were the leading wicket-takers and, along with Ajmal, all went under four runs an over.

"I think they prepared pretty good wickets against Australia – they were a little bit slow but teams are entitled to prepare wickets that suit them a little bit and no doubt they're going to be the standard sub-continent wickets," Vettori said.

 

[straw man]

Player-coach is an interesting idea. Not suggesting it but Vettori is the type that could pull it off. He's the hardest bastard in that team by a long way and demands excellence from his players.

Pah, Vettori taking on the cushy role of coach as well as having a few beers with the selectors, occasionally rolling his arm over at just 90 kmph and shielding himself batting down at number 6. Pansy! He should harden up and open the bowling and the batting too.

 

[Hurricane]

I am pleased with the player revolt. I have had it in for Moles for a while.
I was upset with the lack of progress in Guptils back foot defence between the India series and the sri lanka series.
And Flynn hasn't improved any either.
Those two players need coaching. They are young and malleable and it appears they weren't getting it.

Not sure if McIntosh can be assisted by coaching he is older. I guess you are never to old to learn though.

 

[Howsie]

I am pleased with the player revolt. I have had it in for Moles for a while.
I was upset with the lack of progress in Guptils back foot defence between the India series and the sri lanka series.
And Flynn hasn't improved any either.
Those two players need coaching. They are young and malleable and it appears they weren't getting it.

Not sure if McIntosh can be assisted by coaching he is older. I guess you are never to old to learn though.

If anything McIntosh has gotten worse since making the blackcaps, he looked a lot better during the Windies series then he ever did against India and Sri Lanka.

 

[Meridio]

Not quite sure how I feel about this whole Moles fiasco. As far as results go, was anyone actually expecting anything different? Especially in tests, where we've only played WI (home), India (home), Australia (away) and SL (away) since he took over. Out of that lot, the only series I'd expect to win would be the one against the WI - but that was ruined by the rain.

On the other hand, if it's true that Vettori has essentially been coaching the team since Moles took over, then that's not good enough. From the reports we've been reading, it sounds as though some people think he doesn't have the knowledge to do the job.

There's also a part of me that wonders if Moles had told some of the senior players that they need to stand up, and they've now had a hissyfit and decided they want to get rid of him. Will be interesting to see how this pans out in the next few days.

 

[Flem274*]

Depends who the senior players were that went to the media. Out of the current lot the senior men are Vettori, McCullum, Oram, Martin and....nobody...Bond?

Martin doesn't strike me as the type to go around being bitchy about his coach, Oram is very level headed and I'm not sure he'd have expressed his concerns in this way. That leaves the skipper and his vice captain.

My theory would be they did this as a senior unit. I was tempted to say it was all McCullum but the article said "players" and that would be extremely cynical of me. I doubt McCullum would act on his own either.

All those senior players bar McCullum and Oram (who was out of form tbf) have stood up and performed.

Wierd though. Its not as though it's the 90s where we had cool headed and diplomatic guys like Cairns, Parore and Nash making their thoughts clear.

 

[Howsie]

Depends who the senior players were that went to the media. Out of the current lot the senior men are Vettori, McCullum, Oram, Martin and....nobody...Bond?

Martin doesn't strike me as the type to go around being bitchy about his coach, Oram is very level headed and I'm not sure he'd have expressed his concerns in this way. That leaves the skipper and his vice captain.

My theory would be they did this as a senior unit. I was tempted to say it was all McCullum but the article said "players" and that would be extremely cynical of me. I doubt McCullum would act on his own either.

All those senior players bar McCullum and Oram (who was out of form tbf) have stood up and performed.

Wierd though. Its not as though it's the 90s where we had cool headed and diplomatic guys like Cairns, Parore and Nash making their thoughts clear.

It wouldn't surprise me though if the so called "senior" players weren't actually a group but just one individual, and most people will know who I'm thinking of. Someone who hasn't performed at all since Moles has taken over and is about to be demoted down the order, guess who???

 

[DIRK-NANNES]

It was funny seeing Ross Taylor questioned by the media as he climbed into his (I think its his) IPL funded Mercedes Benz
Shame he didn't actually say anything.

 

[Flem274*]

It wouldn't surprise me though if the so called "senior" players weren't actually a group but just one individual, and most people will know who I'm thinking of. Someone who hasn't performed at all since Moles has taken over and is about to be demoted down the order, guess who???

Gareth Hopkins

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Hmmm, I agree that it appears his actual coaching has been bad in regards to Guptill, Flynn. Probably McCullum and McIntosh as well.

 

[Howsie]

Gareth Hopkins

Well I would say yes, but Hopkins has never performed so.....

 

[Flem274*]

Hmmm, I agree that it appears his actual coaching has been bad in regards to Guptill, Flynn. Probably McCullum and McIntosh as well.

How much can we blame the coach though? Guptill has always had that short ball problem: remember O'Brien sayign the word was in domestic cricket to bowl short at him. Flynn was a one season wonder who before that got starts and threw them away, just like he does in tests. McCullum has always been McCullum, though granted he does it at a slower pace now.

Don't even get me started on McIntosh. Don't blame Moles for that one.

 

[Flem274*]

Well I would say yes, but Hopkins has never performed so.....

He's got around the problem of having bad haircuts. Thats a success.

 

[Athlai]

Taylor will rake it in when his IPL contract expires.

Was far and away Bangalore's best batsman. 581 @ 38.73 SR 157.45 for them. Also has been pretty fantastic in the field, if Bangalore lose him they will sorely miss him.

 

[Athlai]

The way Moles wanted us to craft an ODI innings was completely wrong.