**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[OverratedSanity]

OK been out all day so here is my black cap ratings for the game. Again a Pak fan to rate Pakistan plox...

Latham 10 (don't care he didn't come off second dig - this guy is impressive. I was going to say kid, but he is 22 isn't he - so that moniker does not belong)
McCullum 3 (I was going to give him a 7 because his 40s were super handy but I was so cheesed off by his first innings dismissal I can only award him a 3)
Kane 3 (30s aren't good enough in tests and he knows that)
Taylor 10 (like Latham I don't care he failed in the other inning such was the importance of his knock)
Anderson 0
Neesham -1 (I am really going off his bowling the more I see of it)
Watling 6 (that's better keeping Watling keep it up)
Craig 0 (his two wickets in the second dig were not earned imho - I am also not giving him points for batting as that is not his job)
Southee 7 (I think I scored him a 7 last game and I will stick with that. The ball actually moved in the air a bit for him while I was watching.)
Boult 7 see comment in Southee
Sodhi 8 (don't care he didn't take a bagfull - I was quite impressed with his groupings)

Harsh on MCullum imo. Did a decent job.

 

[Flem274*]

The Black Caps FB page comments section is the best. Not many kiwis posting on it though.

ICC - International Cricket Council must stop favoritism. Pakistan Cricket Team's opening batsman, Shan Masood's out was sent to be reviewed. The Hawk Eye took longer than normal time to craft partial & one-sided & unfair decision against Pakistan. The ball was clearly going down the leg side; and it
was missing the leg stump by miles. But, ICC - International Cricket Council's
reviewing umpire, and computer-crafter of ball direction, made racist & ethnocentric decision. The same thing happened in 2011 World Cup match between Pakistan and India at Chandeegardh, when Tendulkar Clear dismissal though Leg Before Wicket was turned down through DRS. Computer-crafter of review abnormally turned the ball in such way that it missed the leg stump. ICC - International Cricket Council must straighten its records, on this issue - as soon as possible.

Lol cry me a river. Everyone gets bad decisions from time to time

Lol, Yes, I have seen. You have cried an ocean around Antarctica. Do you swim in that water of your own cry?

 

[Spark]

okay fair play, that last comment is pure gold

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Mods please change my name to "computer-crafter"

 

[dogwalker]

Please change mine to "water of my own cry".

 

[Flem274*]

location update required imo

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Ronchi likely to get test honours - Cricket - NZ Herald News

Luke Ronchi's compelling form in the one-day team looks set to propel him into the test team to replace Jimmy Neesham for next week's third test in Sharjah.

The top four batsmen and two spinners won't change, BJ Watling is set as wicketkeeper despite Ronchi's skill set, and Trent Boult and Tim Southee form one of the world's best new-ball partnerships with the prospect of them resting for the Pakistan one-day internationals afterwards.

Neesham shouldn't be offended, given he'll have a valuable role to play as an all-rounder during the World Cup. A rest in the final Pakistan test might pay dividends in the ODIs when another chance to open could loom.

The 24-year-old is coming off two tests when he was dismissed by spinners on three out of four occasions for 39 runs at 9.75. He charged Mohammad Hafeez and missed, chipped Yasir Shah to mid-wicket, and was bowled through the gate out of the footmarks by Zulfiqar Babar.

In an ideal world, Neesham would be persevered with.

He seized his opportunity making 137 not out, the highest score by a No 8 on test debut against India at Wellington, and followed with 107 in the West Indies at Kingston. But he's not offering enough with the ball on low bouncing surfaces in the UAE to be guaranteed a third-test place against Pakistan in Sharjah. He's taken one for 63 (when Younis Khan slapped a short and wide delivery to cover) from 29 overs.

If Neesham's candid interviews are any gauge, it won't take him long to recover. He answers questions directly and thoughtfully.

Presumably this same approach applies when it comes to scrutinising his own game. He acknowledged the difficulties left-handers face, and was forthright enough to suggest a 220-230 total would be competitive in the match. He was right.

Judging his Twitter account, there's also a bit of cheek. Not every player is prepared to give the batting coach (Craig McMillan) a lash in taste. "I can take the questionable music blaring through my hotel wall @cmacca10, but if you start singing again I'm calling the police," he wrote.

Fellow all-rounder Corey Anderson has also struggled during this series, but showed better form in the first test with innings of 48 and 23 and his left-armers offer more variation to Pakistan's predominantly right-handed batting order.

Anderson's again moved ahead in New Zealand cricket's version of Andrew Mehrtens v Carlos Spencer. Unless there's a dramatic change in skill-set, this looks set to weave through their careers.

The stance is another reason to pick Ronchi. He's right-handed whereas Anderson and Neesham are left-handers, meaning they're capable of being bowled through the gate out of footmarks used by leg spinner Yasir Shah and left-arm orthodox Zulfiqar Babar, as occurred in the second innings at Dubai.

Ronchi's first-class record is sound against spin, including centuries on New Zealand A tours to Sri Lanka and India last season. In fact, his first-class record is solid regardless of the bowlers.

In 2012-13 he made 807 domestic runs at 62.07, including four centuries. In 2013-14 it was 328 runs at 46.85.

The final say will come down to the selectors but Ronchi might justify a test debut.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Hesson does his homework - Cricket - NZ Herald News

A conversation with Mike Hesson can be a humbling experience.

Many consider themselves well versed in the game but the New Zealand cricket coach can leave those same people thinking about nuances of knowledge they had never considered. It's cathartic and reaffirming.

The 40-year-old has a reservoir of gems, generally with a sabermetrics-type theme, that can surprise like a Murali delivery out of fifth-day footmarks.

Presumably it has something to do with his iPad. Recently the device sat beside me in a series of meetings New Zealand Cricket conducted with news organisations outlining their World Cup planning. Hesson demonstrated some of the cricketing intelligence detail he had at his fingertips. It would have made the GCSB blush at their forensic inadequacies.

He has generated some incredible knowledge in his two-and-a-half year reign. He's meticulous in his planning because he is more vulnerable than anyone in the team should there be failure.

More?

That's partly because he's the head coach or, to use a more accurate term, Manager, with a capital M in the English Premier League football sense.

There's also that other lingering fact which might drive his thinking and hunger. It generally comes with a preceding 'but' and is also in capitals: He Didn't Play For New Zealand.

The simple counter argument is: That's Why He's Got Three People Who Did (Shane Bond, Craig McMillan and, on this trip, Paul Wiseman) Directly Reporting To Him.

Graham Lowe was one of the first to break this international representative mould in the early 1980s with the Kiwis and there have been three All Black coaches in the last 20 years (clue: their surnames start with H) in the same position.

Hesson's rise is no accident and neither are his results as someone who dedicated himself to his craft out of school. Last summer, he described himself as "no show pony" and a "clinical sort of bloke" who tries to "balance out the highs and lows".

Professionalism, objectivity and effective communication have been key to his tenure. A culture where team is placed before self is emerging - just ask Jesse Ryder and Doug Bracewell.

The pair haven't played for New Zealand since transgressing out late before the first India test this year.

He also appointed Brendon McCullum as captain, a player with whom he'd shared a long association and respect for at Otago. It'd take some creativity to argue McCullum hasn't made a decent fist of the role since.

Sure, Hesson endured the understandable brunt of a public backlash regarding the handling of the Ross Taylor's demotion and the subsequent horror of what is now simply known as 'The 45' in Cape Town against the best pace attack in the world.

But what have New Zealand done since?

An ODI series win over South Africa; a drawn home test series and ODI series win away against England; an ODI series victory over then-world No 1 India; three consecutive test series victories against India and then the West Indies (home and away); and the development of players such as Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham, Luke Ronchi and Ish Sodhi.

New Zealand are still underachieving in tournament play but, in 83 days, they have a once-in-a-career chance to rectify that with the World Cup at home.

Some of what Hesson has imparted is intangible. The key theme is building players capable of independent thought - instilling a sleeper cell of belief which could awaken when it matters. By investing autonomy in his charges, Hesson hopes to ignite match-winners.

Having observed Hesson this week in Dubai, little has changed from the disciplined figure who, in 2008, coached Otago to their first title in 20 years. There's the same firm handshake, the same eye contact in conversation, the same passion for the sport and his team. He has the resourcefulness of a QC and exudes the optimism you might reserve for a plumb lbw shout when defending his players and their methods.

Yesterday's draw with Pakistan produced one such gem. "Towards the end we were the only side who could have won the game."

He was right, eventually, because they had researched Pakistan's capabilities in those conditions and the test history of UAE venues to make more than a guesstimate before offering declaration bait. Call it a return to 'Hadleeism', but New Zealand cricket is the better for such scrupulous planning.

Mike Hesson timeline

2003 - Appointed by the ICC as Argentina national coach for their failed bid to qualify for the World Cup.
2005 - Succeeded mentor Glenn Turner as Otago coach, breaking the region's trophy drought three years later.
2011 - Took over as Kenya coach but left his post 11 months into a two-year term after security issues.
July 2012 - Selected from 39 potential candidates to replace John Wright as New Zealand coach.
August 2012 - Ahead of first test series in charge, pledged support for Ross Taylor to remain as long-term skipper.
December 2012 - Taylor replaced by Brendon McCullum as captain in the short forms. Taylor rejected an olive branch to remain test captain.
2013 - Began the year with a 2-1 victory in an ODI series in South Africa, followed in June by the same result in England.
2013 - Defeated the West Indies at home to start a run of three successive test series victories.
2014 - Dropped Jesse Ryder after he was seen drinking at an Auckland bar the night before a test against India.
2014 - Achieved an historic test series win in the Caribbean, New Zealand's first victory away to a top-eight nation since 2002.

 

[vandem]

Worth noting that the "Ronchi likely to get test honours" story in NZHe is by Andrew Alderson who is reporting from UAE. Assume he has the inside line.

 

[hendrix]

yeah not keen on Ronchi. I'd much prefer we persist with Neesham.

 

[Kippax]

If only I could send a little video to Rahat Ali showing him how terrible Ronchi is at handling swing, and to demand the ball when he arrives.

 

[Athlai]

If Ronchi plays as a specialist bat I'll make Phlegm taste it so hard.

 

[Flem274*]

Ronchi for Neesham, good God.

Neesh has credit in the bank and two poor tests shouldn't change it. Yes it would be handy if he was right handed but it would also be handy if Ronchi didn't have a massive gap between bat and pad.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

Ronchi failing and being dropped permanently can only be a good thing.

 

[Flem274*]

My position on Ronchi and the ODIs for Australia is a bit inconsistent now for reasons I'm not going into but purely from a cricketing point of view I don't think he's a test match specialist batsman (even at six), and especially not when we already have Anderson one spot too high. Plus you shouldn't be dropping a guy who has had an amazing start to his test career after just two poor tests.

Ronchi is definitely the second best keeper batsman we have but he's left his shift too late. If he had come over immediately post-McCullum he might be a lock in the team now but as it is he should have got back in nick over in Aussie and shot for Haddin's spot. He's better than Wade, and while Aussie have a couple of decent guys waiting in the wings he's a bit stuffed unless Watling has a sudden and dramatic loss of form.

 

[Hurricane]

Ronchi for Neesham, good God.

Neesh has credit in the bank and two poor tests shouldn't change it. Yes it would be handy if he was right handed but it would also be handy if Ronchi didn't have a massive gap between bat and pad.

That is a crass reason from hesson. Right handers have a tougher time against leggies and SLAs period.

 

[Howe_zat]

That is a crass reason from hesson. Right handers have a tougher time against leggies and SLAs period.

It's an excuse not a reason

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Side I'd like to see for a one-off must-win test:

BMac
Latham
KW
RT
Watling*
Neesham (I think 3 left arm medium quicks is overkill and the bloke has scored 2 centuries this year)
Ronchi*
Sodhi
Southee
Wagner
Boult

* Note: Share the wicketkeeping duties so Watling doesn't get burnt out batting at 5 and keeping

 

[hendrix]

Watling is just straight up a better keeper than Ronchi these days.

I just don't see what Ronchi offers. He'll be worse than Haddin in these conditions. May as well persist with Neesh or even pick Ruds.

 

[hendrix]

Also, the real issue is no Wagner. The guy simply must play in place of Craig.