*Official* Pakistan in New Zealand 2020/21

[Flem274*]

You can't have both ways, you can't pick a spinner like Ajaz with not much batting and fielding skills expecting him to score runs. Likewise you can't pick Mitchell and expect him to pick lots of wickets. If we had a player that can score hundreds and pick 3 or more wickets potentially we will be the best team in the planet. If you need batting cover then Mitchell or Santner is your answer. Yes Santner's hundy vs England was as jammy as Nicholls' recent hundred with his struggles against short balls but at least he has a test hundred to his name.

6. watling
7. cdg or mitchell
8. southee/boult/wagner/jamieson
9. southee/boult/wagner/jamieson
10. southee/boult/wagner/jamieson
11. ajaz or somerville

done. sometimes good players miss out for squad structure. this is depth, and we prayed for it for decades. let's use it.

 

[nzfan]

I'd rather have Doug Bracewell at no.7 than Darryl Mitchell if we are going to be playing a spinner. The spinner doesn't come into picture till the second dig. In the first dig you can't rely on Darryl Mitchell to be your 4th seamer, that will disastrous particularly if we have to bowl first where spinner's role will be to fill in some overs to give the faster ones a bit of a rest.

 

[Flem274*]

I'd rather have Doug Bracewell at no.7 than Darryl Mitchell if we are going to be playing a spinner. The spinner doesn't come into picture till the second dig. In the first dig you can't rely on Darryl Mitchell to be your 4th seamer, that will disastrous particularly if we have to bowl first where spinner's role will be to fill in some overs to give the faster ones a bit of a rest.

dwta, doug bracewell is getting nosebleeds at #7.

mitchell is a perfectly fine 5th bowler. you've been spoilt by lord colin's full time bowler impersonation. pacer/pacer/wagnerball/ajaz/mitchell is good.

 

[Athlai]

I agree that Mitchell is a perfectly good 5th bowler.

Mitchell Santner.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Santner’s going to get selected, isn’t he.

 

[James]

neither jamieson or santner have any business in the #7 role. nz are just going to have to grow some balls and choose 3 of the 4 quicks if they decide we need a proper spinner, which rachin is not yet.

The question is though how likely is it that on a NZ pitch that Ajaz would actually take more wickets than one of the 4 quicks, especially against a sub-continent team? Wouldn't we be better off Mitchell/Santer and Kane managing 10-15 overs a day between them to rest the 4 quicks?

 

[Moss]

The question is though how likely is it that on a NZ pitch that Ajaz would actually take more wickets than one of the 4 quicks, especially against a sub-continent team? Wouldn't we be better off Mitchell/Santer and Kane managing 10-15 overs a day between them to rest the 4 quicks?

Yeah but I don’t know that NZ would get away with a batting lineup with Santner at 7, against Pakistan. Even on the previous tour when Pakistan were well beaten they bowled us out for 200 and 271 in the first Innings of each test. Need to give their bowling more respect. Not having CdG in the team hurts the balance, he’s good enough to play the 4th seamer role.

 

[nzfan]

Honestly Santner is very over rated in red ball cricket at the moment. If his batting was outstanding then that's fine for him to be average with the ball but that's not the case here. I still can't believe he's played 22 test matches already. Outstanding white ball bowler but his batting is below par for no.7 and ideally suited at no.9. If he bats that low, then he has to justify with the ball but there's nothing special about his bowling in red ball cricket. Neither he beats the batsman in the flight or turns the ball on decks that are conducive to spin or is able to perform with the bat consistently at no.7. There's no way to class him as an all rounder in test cricket or a specialist bowler. The problem is with so much white ball cricket he barely gets a chance to play first class cricket to get better. He's nearly 30 now and is it worth investing in him still with sparse test matches we play?

Exact opposite in white ball cricket, he's miser as they come and a very handy bat too down the order. Picks up reasonable number of wickets too.

Ajaz hands down is our best red ball spinner at the moment. Hope he goes well in the NZ A game. If they are going to play Ajaz, Sodhi and Ravindra in the NZ A game who's going to bowl most overs? Sodhi may be off to the T20s I think.

 

[Kippax]

The question is though how likely is it that on a NZ pitch that Ajaz would actually take more wickets than one of the 4 quicks?

Yeah best to be careful thinking Bay Oval in a great spell of weather = just another NZ pitch.

 

[nzfan]

If it's dry in Tauranga it will turn but very late in the match though. If Pakistan batting does last and the test match goes to day 5 there will be spin no doubt about that.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

If Pakistan batting does last and the test match goes to day 5

Nice flex

 

[nzfan]

Well... no teams seem to last on our decks long enough. Not being ****y but stating the fact.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

It won't happen, but I'd rather debut Rachin at 6 with Watling at 7 (an opener and an ex-opener to deal with the 2nd ball), than play Santner at 7.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Well... no teams seem to last on our decks long enough. Not being ****y but stating the fact.

Yeah I know that's why it's a nice flex.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Michael Bracewell captaining NZ A ... dunno who I’d least prefer out of him or Santner tbh

 

[SteveNZ]

Yeah, but we saw the limitations of the 4 seamers approach on day 3 v WI. Even with 4 of them, the quicks were starting to look seriously tired. Against a batting lineup with a bit of starch its very easy to foresee that approach leading to problems. It's a pity that Rachin's bowling isn't really there yet, as him coming in to bat at number 6 would be pretty ideal from a long run development point of view.

This is true, his bowling is not there yet...however, what's the best overall picture? It's not Santner at 7, no way. Is it Daryl Mitchell with a few runs (might average 35 or so) and bowl very innocuous seamers to hold up an end, is it Ajaz Patel at 10 with his bowling ability or is it Ravindra who might also average 30 or so with the bat and also bowl semi-decently on days 4 and 5? I might be tempted to say, dry summer ahead, that it's potentially Ravindra.

And am I right in saying this is our last Test series before the Test Championship final, or has some of the FTP been postponed?

 

[The Hutt Rec]

This is true, his bowling is not there yet...however, what's the best overall picture? It's not Santner at 7, no way. Is it Daryl Mitchell with a few runs (might average 35 or so) and bowl very innocuous seamers to hold up an end, is it Ajaz Patel at 10 with his bowling ability or is it Ravindra who might also average 30 or so with the bat and also bowl semi-decently on days 4 and 5? I might be tempted to say, dry summer ahead, that it's potentially Ravindra.

And am I right in saying this is our last Test series before the Test Championship final, or has some of the FTP been postponed?

This is the last series ... Ravindra is the brave bold option they’d never take.

 

[Mike5181]

I'd leave the decision until this NZ A game tomorrow. If he plays well there's really no reason to leave him out.

 

[Prince EWS]

This is the last series ... Ravindra is the brave bold option they’d never take.

Yeah **** it, I'd probably pick him. I've suggested Phillips for this meme before, and Rachin's realistically much more suited to it.

 

[nzfan]

That will be the most out of the blue selection ever for Black Caps. Obviously I think he's way better batsman than Darryl Mitchell, there's no comparison and although his figures don't reflect he's better bet than Santner with the ball.