*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Athlai]

Bugger the WC, get him in the Test team and any other form of the game he deserves to be playing in. The better the squad, the better the team. If we didn't constantly keep the same 18 players in circulation and used the actual best 25 NZ players or so. We'd be so much better for it.

 

[Howsie]

1. Guptill
2. Phillips
3. Williamson
4. Taylor
5. Young
6. Neesham
7. Seifert
8. Santner
9. Henry
10. Ferguson
11. Boult

Kyle Jamieson, Josh Clarkson, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith. Throw those guys in during the next 12-18 months.

 

[Kippax]

Terrible white ball player in India, Latham. The duck accumulator on the last NZA tour to India is going to take him out, any year now.

It's the upgrade in wicket-keeping you get with Seifert that'll truly seal this deal. He's sharp as a tack, an impeccable reader and eagle-eyed observer of the spinning ball.

 

[NZTailender]

1. Guptill
2. Phillips
3. Williamson
4. Taylor
5. Young
6. Neesham
7. Seifert
8. Santner
9. Henry
10. Ferguson
11. Boult

Kyle Jamieson, Josh Clarkson, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith. Throw those guys in during the next 12-18 months.

Is this the strongest XI in your opinion? or for the India series?

Honestly, give Kane a rest I think, ditto Henry and Boult. We'll probably get a hiding but honestly who cares. Need to see how guys handle international level.

imo
Guptill
Ravindra
Phillips
Young
Seifert
Blundell+
Neesham
Santner
Ferguson
Jamieson
Tickner

Smith
Bennett
Sodhi
Kelly
Taylor (maybe bring him in game 3)

 

[Howsie]

If I had the time I’m pretty sure I could find plenty of fours and sixes Tim Seifert has hit against spin too. Your hard on against him is quite strange tbh...

But no, let’s close our eyes and continue with Tom Latham in the one day team, let’s just remember one series over two years ago now and forget that this is the same guy who over his last 30 something ODI’s averages 26 with a SR of 84. Your other favourite Mitchell Santner average 32 during that same period striking at 90.

Let that sink in a little bit...

 

[Athlai]

Hey leave Santa out of this

 

[Prince EWS]

I really rate Seifert as a talent. I'd have picked him as the reserve batsman for the Australia tour, and I think the fact that Blundell has ended up with the chance opening ahead of him in Tests is pretty unfortunate, all things considered.

I'm not having a bar of his List A record though, especially as a #5. He's a reserve keeper-bat in that format at best at the moment, and he's lucky I consider him that given how dire he's been. If he wants to change that he can score some ****ing Ford Trophy runs and stopping keeping like Jimmy Maher in international cricket. Latham has been really good in the role he's been given. Seifert should have been better but he hasn't been.

 

[Prince EWS]

over his last 30 something ODI’s averages 26 with a SR of 84. Your other favourite Mitchell Santner average 32 during that same period striking at 90.

I wonder what Seifert has averaged in his past 30 List A games. Let alone the fact that we're ignoring key information from before your convenient cut-off.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Fundamentally my biggest concern with the Stead-Larsen combo (and tbf this does go back to before Stead took over as head coach) is that they give players way to long a rope, and with that happening we just aren’t seeing the younger players coming through.

Take the Tom Latham injury, you’d think perfect, this is a chance to play one of or both Phillips and Seifert. Two dynamic young wicket keepers, not in Stead’s eyes though, he’s adamant Latham will be back in time for the ODI series against India. Latham’s numbers in one day cricket the last couple of years are horrible, and yet seemingly his place isn’t even close to being questioned.

We need to start playing the likes of Will Young, Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips, give them a chance to show something. If we don’t play them they’ll never develop properly either playing away in domestic cricket.

Long story short, if I see the names Munro, Southee, Nicholls and Latham named in the next one day squad I’ll flip.

Latham and Nicholls were our two best batsmen in the World Cup final (although Taylor didn't sawn off didn't help.

 

[Kippax]

Haha Seifert's List A record. We keep thinking this will be the season it all changes, then a random Henry Shipley nails him with yorkers twice in a row. Such a clumsy bat and clumsy cricketer.

 

[Flem274*]

i rate him in red ball cricket. needs to give up the gloves though.

 

[Moss]

Terrible white ball player in India, Latham. The duck accumulator on the last NZA tour to India is going to take him out, any year now.

It's the upgrade in wicket-keeping you get with Seifert that'll truly seal this deal. He's sharp as a tack, an impeccable reader and eagle-eyed observer of the spinning ball.

Yeah this. Latham will be needed in India during the 2023 WC for sure given his ability on those sorts of wickets. Npt to mention he's apparently seen as captaincy material. Think he can be safely rested for the upcoming ODIs though.

Need a WK for the shorter forms with Blundell's keeping standards plus Seifert's hitting power. How is Phillips' glovework these days (would have him in as a batsman anyway, no point letting him waste away on the sidelines)?

 

[nzfan]

Is this the strongest XI in your opinion? or for the India series?

Honestly, give Kane a rest I think, ditto Henry and Boult. We'll probably get a hiding but honestly who cares. Need to see how guys handle international level.

imo
Guptill
Ravindra
Phillips
Young
Seifert
Blundell+
Neesham
Santner
Ferguson
Jamieson
Tickner

Smith
Bennett
Sodhi
Kelly
Taylor (maybe bring him in game 3)

Maybe this squad will be fine for Ireland/Scotland tour but if you field this team vs India the future Indian tours will be at risk. They will likely refuse to tour if you rest up the super stars.

 

[nzfan]

Why do you guys not rate Seifert? I think he's a pretty tidy batsman but not good enough with the gloves. I know his List A record looks pretty bad but he'll get better with time. Tom Blundell doesn't average any better, he averages under 25 in List A. Cam Fletcher is very tidy behind stumps and he averages just about 26 @ SR of 70. Phillips is around 36 which is the best of all the keepers.

You can't go with overall average for selection, you have to pick the players that are in best form at the moment. I think Seifert or Phillips or Blundell, any of them will do. Release Latham from wicket keeping and get him batting at the top of the order. No point having Latham at no.5/no.6 if he's not keeping. Put any of Phillips, Blundell, Seifert or Fletcher. Any of these will do the job fine at no.6

I'm just hoping they don't name Munro all over again. He's been given ample opportunities but not done enough. They will have to ease out Guptill if they are starting to plan for WC but he's good enough for the next couple of years at least.

 

[nzfan]

Just realized India A will be playing 3 one day games on the 22nd, 24th and the 26th Jan. India plays black caps on the 5th, 8th and the 11th. A good chance for some of these players to have a decent hit out vs India A and get a spot in the senior side. The likes of Worker, Rutherford, Ravindra, Seifert etc to stake claim to open the batting in One dayers. We should be thanking India for in fact giving us a chance to try some of these players vs India A. India A is likely as good as some of the international sides.

 

[Howsie]

You guys are nuts if you believe Tom Latham has done a fine job as our keeper bat in the one day team. It’s not a random cut of point, it’s when he last did anything of note for this team. Just like Luke Ronchi, or Southee, these guys seems to be able to live of one performance and keep a place in the team for years and years. It’s not 10, 15, 20 or 25 games, it’s more than 30 at this point in being statistically one of the worst keeper bats in the world.

New Zealand’s finishing has been rubbish for years now, when you have a top four that includes Guptill, Williamson and Taylor you don’t need an average accumulator like Latham, especially not now with us hopefully brining in a proper bat to partner with Guptill at the top.

Play Seifert at 7 with Nessham at six, give Clarkson and run before he buggers off too and all of a sudden our finishing looks a lot better.

 

[Athlai]

Who keeps though?

 

[straw man]

Maybe this squad will be fine for Ireland/Scotland tour but if you field this team vs India the future Indian tours will be at risk. They will likely refuse to tour if you rest up the super stars.

This is a good point I hadn't thought about - a few like Williamson and Boult (if fit) could probably do with a break and might otherwise skip a few T20I/ODIs, but it can't and won't happen with India touring.

I don't much care who plays in the T20s and ODIs other than that it'd be good to see some new(ish) faces, the return of Ferguson and Neesham and certainly no Munro in the ODIs.

**** knows what they'll do with a few spots for the 2 tests v India - fundamentally the problems with the side exposed touring Australia are not ones you can just fix with different selections. Need top players performing.

 

[nzfan]

You guys are nuts if you believe Tom Latham has done a fine job as our keeper bat in the one day team. It’s not a random cut of point, it’s when he last did anything of note for this team. Just like Luke Ronchi, or Southee, these guys seems to be able to live of one performance and keep a place in the team for years and years. It’s not 10, 15, 20 or 25 games, it’s more than 30 at this point in being statistically one of the worst keeper bats in the world.

New Zealand’s finishing has been rubbish for years now, when you have a top four that includes Guptill, Williamson and Taylor you don’t need an average accumulator like Latham, especially not now with us hopefully brining in a proper bat to partner with Guptill at the top.

Play Seifert at 7 with Nessham at six, give Clarkson and run before he buggers off too and all of a sudden our finishing looks a lot better.

That is why I said play Latham at the top of the order and take the gloves off him. Blundell, Seifert or Phillips can slot into no.6 spot. Rest of the lineup is locked in and don't think there's going to be much changed at least in the next year.

Latham
Guptill
Kane
Taylor
Nicholls
Seifert/Phillips/Blundell
Jimmy Neesham
Colin/Darryl Mitchell
Santner
Henry/Tickner/Jamieson/Lockie/Southee - Any will do
Boult

I'm pretty sure this is the lineup vs India.

 

[Bahnz]

That is why I said play Latham at the top of the order and take the gloves off him. Blundell, Seifert or Phillips can slot into no.6 spot. Rest of the lineup is locked in and don't think there's going to be much changed at least in the next year.

Unless he's dramatically improved his keeping, Seifert can't take the gloves in any format besides T20 (and even there its a questionable selection). If my understanding is correct, Phillips has more or less given up the gloves to focus on his batting - which doesn't suggest he'd be super competent in the role either. That pretty much just leaves Blundell, and as good a player as I think he is, I'm not sure if he's got the power game to bat 6 (though I wouldn't be averse to giving him a shot).