*Official * Pakistan vs New Zealand 2023

[Flem274*]

P
Please give us a rundown the forum has been boring ever since 90scricketfan got banned.

Guy said he lost weight in Asia because they don't snack. People pointed out they snack, he was probably just quite active on holiday. He refused to concede. I think it lasted like 20 pages or more. He got more and more deranged in his refusal to be wrong.

It was highly entertaining but smudge probably missed the booze recs he wanted just before the event.

 

[NZTailender]

Neesham miiiiight sneak into my WC squad as the final member, though I haven't written it out to be sure. If he does it's due to the paucity of other options to bat 7 and the lack of attempts to find someone better, though.

Regarding his career, I think his bowling has kinda reached its ceiling - he started off woefully inaccurate with an action where his head fell away a lot and he sprayed the ball around. With a few changes he became a little less inaccurate, though still below average. Has decent variations and bowled well in the 2019 WC where the pitches responded well to pace-off (even if inaccurate). So, a part-timer.

His batting over his career trajectory disappoints me a lot more (talking white-ball). The only good thing I'll say about it is that he never shows a reluctance to swing for the fence if the situation demands it. However, in his role as hitter he's one-dimensional with one go-to shot to cow/long-on that's easily countered by opposition bowlers. And when he's required to play a longer innings (ODIs in particular) he rarely does it - often goes for the huge swipe even when it's not a good option and gets out. Occasionally against mediocre bowling he can just do that for the whole innings and it works, like that home series against Sri Lanka a few years ago. But the vast majority of the time against better bowlers it doesn't, hence the ODI batting average of 28. IMO he has/had the talent to be an ODI 6 - someone who can biff if arriving at the crease in the 43rd over, or can play a long innings if he arrives in the 13th - but his shot selection and approach lets him down imo.

The main thing he has going for him, to edge him into the squad ahead of anyone else, is match pressure situation experience. Is it enough, alone, to see him through?

 

[Moss]

The main thing he has going for him, to edge him into the squad ahead of anyone else, is match pressure situation experience. Is it enough, alone, to see him through?

That’s quite possible, aside from the bowlers there aren’t too many survivors from the 2019 WC. Plus KW unlikely. So they may feel they’ll need all the old hands they can get.

Another guy who seems to be a borderline selection is Blundell. If they decide they want a specialist backup keeper that might squeeze Neesham or Chapman out. Personally would like to have him in the squad - can bat anywhere, usually doesn’t let the team down, plus really do not want Conway or Allen keeping in case a replacement is needed.

 

[Prince EWS]

The main thing he has going for him, to edge him into the squad ahead of anyone else, is match pressure situation experience. Is it enough, alone, to see him through?

Neesham in theory is also a bit of a unicorn as a role player - he's a batting allrounder who can hit from ball one in the lower middle order and bowl a mix of clever variations and proper gas at the death (which itself is gold if you're thinking about three frontline spinners in some conditions). If he was actually particularly good at any of those things he'd be one of the most valuable ODI players in the world, especially when added to what you indicated about him being a proven 'clutch' player... but alas he's inconsistent at best.

He definitely shouldn't be in the starting eleven but I'd think about him in spot #15, even if only due to the failure of the selectors to try Clarkson or Dougeh in the role instead of wasting opportunities at 6/7 on Nicholls, Ravindra and McConchie.

Here's my first 14, which I think largely picks itself. Outside the starting eleven there's a spare bat, a spare quick and a spare spinner. Conway is the reserve keeper.

Conway
Allen
Young
Mitchell
Latham
Chapman
Phillips
Bracewell
Santner
Sodhi
Henry
Southee
Boult
Ferguson

#15 is a bit of a wildcard - do you go with the extra reserve quick (Shipley) or do you pick a wildcard allrounder in Neesham who you know properly won't be overawed by the occasion if he's called up? I'm torn, but would probably go with Neesh for balance options knowing you can call up Shipley if there's an injury.

 

[Prince EWS]

That’s quite possible, aside from the bowlers there aren’t too many survivors from the 2019 WC. Plus KW unlikely. So they may feel they’ll need all the old hands they can get.

Another guy who seems to be a borderline selection is Blundell. If they decide they want a specialist backup keeper that might squeeze Neesham or Chapman out. Personally would like to have him in the squad - can bat anywhere, usually doesn’t let the team down, plus really do not want Conway or Allen keeping in case a replacement is needed.

Blundell is just relentlessly crap at this format for whatever reason. Even after his clear improvement as an overall batsman he averaged 23 in six games for Wellington this season.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah agree with Cribb on that squad. Neesham theoretically could start depending on balance and form, Shipley doesn't aside from injury.

 

[Athlai]

If we had Williamson, Id put our chances going in as pretty near 2015/2019.

 

[Neil Young]

i’ve been saying nicholls sucks for the better part of the past decade and finally i can pretend that i was Right All Along™️

Same, except I was right all along. Bloke is the jammiest cricketer I have ever come across. But, if you can't be good, be lucky.

 

[Zinzan]

**** right off Stead, why the hell would Southee be in the running for the ODI captain considering for a WC in India we're likely to play just to 2 specialist seamers in Boult & Henry, yet potentially face the prospect of having to play mediocre Timmy if he's made captain.

Southee, Latham in consideration to lead New Zealand at 2023 ODI World Cup

Head coach Gary Stead also said that "11 or 12" of the squad were likely locked in with remaining positions still requiring some discussion

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Athlai]

Ive told you guys again and again that they'll have Southees name on the team sheet for this World Cup before basically anyone.

Plz temper your expectations accordingly cos he's gonna start

 

[straw man]

Surely Milners still > Shippers

/Danny Morrison

 

[ashley bach]

Much as I love Lockie, because he can be a real beast at the best of times, hasn't it been a while since he's chucked in some consistently
good results? Milne despite not having a great overall record has done a reasonable job considering whats been asked of him.
Not suggesting who should or shouldn't get the spot but isn't it a lot closer than first thoughts?

 

[_Ed_]

Yeah, Lockie's form has been concerning for a while - across both white-ball formats, he's averaging just under 40 in his 32 games since the start of 2022 (and that includes a stats-boosting 4-14 against Ireland last July).

And his ODI average is on the wrong side of 30 now, after being 25.65 at the end of the 2019 World Cup.

 

[SteveNZ]

I feel like he gets credit from the 2019 World Cup where he was boss mode (21 wickets at 19), and he's got a lot of experience in India.

 

[straw man]

Yeah Ferguson's form has gone beyond 'he looks like he's bowling ok but not getting results' to 'is he broken/have they figured him out/why is this happening to me'.

But he's going to make a triumphant return at the world cup, I can feel it in my bonez.

 

[thundaboult]

Yeah, backing lockie to come good. Was there an element of "bowled really well in pak and india earlier this year with the new ball but dropped catches, beating the bat, outside edges so no luck no wickets?" In the home odis against ind right after the t20 wc he looked quite good actually.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah Ferguson's form has gone beyond 'he looks like he's bowling ok but not getting results' to 'is he broken/have they figured him out/why is this happening to me'.

But he's going to make a triumphant return at the world cup, I can feel it in my bonez.

(hes not going to play a game tbf)

 

[jcas0167]

"He was hopeful that Kyle Jamieson, who is recovering from back surgery, will be in the frame."

Southee, Latham in consideration to lead New Zealand at 2023 ODI World Cup

Head coach Gary Stead also said that "11 or 12" of the squad were likely locked in with remaining positions still requiring some discussion

www.espncricinfo.com

Interesting dilemma if Jamieson is fit. Probably just misses out.

 

[thundaboult]

Interesting dilemma if Jamieson is fit. Probably just misses out.

Not sold on Kyle as a LO bowler one bit atm.

 

[Bahnz]

Agreed. The guy's only played 8 ODI's, and I've yet to see him display the toolset to suggest he wouldn't be a liability in the death overs.