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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Quite a while away from the WC, form is likely to change a lot by then.For better or worse.
Mostly agree with this. I also find it really frustrating, that the selectors still clearly have no clue who their best XI is. Rather than using this series as an acid test for the likely first choice XI, they've continued to fart around with fringe contenders like Bracewell and Tastle. No disrespect to either them, but with the world cup only a few months away, neither should be close to the playing XI in such an important series.

I still think an XI of Gup, Young, KW, Taylor, Latham, Neesham, Anderson/Munro/CdG, Santner, Ferguson, Boult, Henry/Sodhi/Milne will give us an outside sniff at the world cup, but with so many key players out of form and low on confidence, I have to admit it's not looking good.
I like the idea of bringing Young in but he's realistically got 3 ODIs before the WC and a couple of warm ups. I'm not opposed to it but I would hate for a young player (no pun intended) being brought in, having to adjust to playing with a partner, settling into a role at international standard...during the biggest cricketing event on the calendar.

I realise we're still 5 months out and there's time for everyone to get their head straight but there' not enough time to get games under your belt. Ideally we need a March/April ODI tour somewhere.
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
I understand your reasoning, but what we have now clearly isn't working so I see very little downside to giving Young a crack. And it also has the advantage that nobody will have had the opportunity to have a look at him and work out the weak spots in his game.
 

Chewie

International Vice-Captain

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
I understand your reasoning, but what we have now clearly isn't working so I see very little downside to giving Young a crack. And it also has the advantage that nobody will have had the opportunity to have a look at him and work out the weak spots in his game.
The Nicholls experiment remains to be seen but having 6 specialist bats won't really work for us unless Kane decides to bowl himself more. Which i'm definitely not opposed to but it rarely happens anymore.
 

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!
My WC XI & squad (assuming 15) this far out;

de Grandaddy 6
Guptill
KW 7
Ross
Latham +
Nicholls
Neesham 5
Santner 4
Ferguson 3
Bennett 2
Boult 1

Munro
Phillips +
Astle
Milne (Kuggeleijn if Milne's not fit)
 

Grasshopper

State Vice-Captain
Hopefully Munro's omission from the first 2 Bangladesh ODIs is an indication the selectors have finally seen the light and decided he's just too limited to risk having him open at the CWC. But probably not.

Disappointing that they're still unwilling to give Young a go.
 

jcas0167

International Debutant
Was thinking on the commute in this morning about our side in 2015 vs our side today, and how about a year ago I thought we'd be in a better position to win this WC than the last since the last team still had a few players yet to hit their peak, and now being the point when they should.

Except, the replacements haven't exactly cut it. Latham is a step up from Ronchi but has a different role with the bat. Munro is no Baz and CdG is no Elliott. Unfair to compare Santner now to Vettori at the end of his long career as one of the best ODI spinners ever.

Southee has regressed but we've found a decent gun in Ferguson, and Henry is finally getting some game time. Remember how Boult had played like 7 ODIs before the WC? Now he's arguably in our ATG ODI XI. Basically the only players I have confidence in for this WC right now are Boult, Taylor and Latham. Even Kane's form has been worrying and although Guptill is generally gun, he scored less runs in Munro in the recent series. I expect him to come good but averaging 28 this year hasn't been all that inspiring - though that's probably partly down to the situations he's found himself in thanks to Munro.
I think that in terms of the batting order, it's more Neesham or Latham who take the Elliott spot, while CdG takes the Corey Anderson/Ronchi lower-middle order hitting role.

The main differences I see are Guptill having issues with injury and form and Munro not being able to provide the consistent starts that McCullum managed. I would like them to go with Seifert who I believe has the ability to take on that role, otherwise Nicholls is a solid option.

Thinking about WC's so much just comes down to players hitting top form too. Think Greatbatch being thrust into the opening role and coming off, Crowe and Guptill being top-run scorers after poor form pre-tournament. Elliott also looked very scratchy before the 2015 tournament.
 

vandem

State Captain
... Elliott also looked very scratchy before the 2015 tournament.
Think your memory is playing up about Elliott.

He played some sucessful domestic white ball cricket after being dropped from the starting ODI XI in 2013-14 (when Ryder returned to open, and KW + Ross + BMac locked up #3 #4 #5), and when BMac switched to open in early 2015 he won the battle for #5 over Latham, with pre-World Cup scores of 1, 44, 104*, 21*, 24, 64*, 28.
 

jcas0167

International Debutant
Think your memory is playing up about Elliott.

He played some sucessful domestic white ball cricket after being dropped from the starting ODI XI in 2013-14 (when Ryder returned to open, and KW + Ross + BMac locked up #3 #4 #5), and when BMac switched to open in early 2015 he won the battle for #5 over Latham, with pre-World Cup scores of 1, 44, 104*, 21*, 24, 64*, 28.
True, there was one innings in particular when he first came back where he looked all at sea. As you say, he did have great domestic form which prompted his recall and he quickly found his feet after that first game back.
 

TheBrand

First Class Debutant
Interested to see Munro only in for game 3. Kinda hope this means he's probably in the WC squad but not in the starting XI.
 

Howsie

International Captain
True, there was one innings in particular when he first came back where he looked all at sea. As you say, he did have great domestic form which prompted his recall and he quickly found his feet after that first game back.
It was a game against Sri Lanka I think you’re thinking about, I remember it too. Looked like a joke selection at that point.
 

The Hutt Rec

International Vice-Captain
That was his first one back, wasn't it? After he missed the first few of the series because his kid was sick or something.

I was always in favour of him getting recalled, but it did look like a pretty shaky call after that match. :laugh:
 

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