Your New Zealand World Cup Squad if selected today...

[Zinzan]

I'm Okay with Elliott's selection as well. I've always had a soft-spot for his ODI batting.

 

[SurgeInWelly]

Slightly unrelated, but I'm assuming they're exclusively using this 15 man squad for the SL one-dayers. I mean how annoying will it be now if they play Henry and he kills.

Yep.

 

[Blocky]

All in all you can see the logic - ie if Mitch doesn't fire, Trent is his back-up as a left-arm option (or as I see it). I don't think he would've made the squad if he bowled with his right arm, given his career statistics.

Ridiculous reasoning and something plaguing us continously - "Ooh, it's good having a left armer in the side" - "Ooh, it's good having a leg spinner in the side" - "Ooh, it's good having a bowler who bowls 150 in the side" rather than "What do they actually produce?" - do we get to the point that we pick Michael Bates if we have injuries to other left armers?

 

[Blocky]

I'd give Southee a rest from the Sri Lankan series, maybe bring him back for the last game and against Pakistan - then the world cup. He's looking so tired.

Another thought - do you sacrifice against Sri Lanka and give guys like Anderson, Elliott and Williamson overs against them knowing you'll probably make a win harder to get, but get vital "in-competition" overs into the guys that will bowl overs for you in the world cup and could make a difference?

 

[Days of Grace]

I'd give Southee a rest from the Sri Lankan series, maybe bring him back for the last game and against Pakistan - then the world cup. He's looking so tired.

Another thought - do you sacrifice against Sri Lanka and give guys like Anderson, Elliott and Williamson overs against them knowing you'll probably make a win harder to get, but get vital "in-competition" overs into the guys that will bowl overs for you in the world cup and could make a difference?

Yes. No one will remember the series result. Unless they are a marquee match-up, like India last year, bilateral JAMODI series are almost meaningless for everyone except TV networks and Cricket Boards.

 

[Howsie]

I rate Henry a 50% chance of playing some part in the World Cup.

Yep good point actually. I don't think Mills has actually ever made it through an entire World Cup campaign before so....

 

[Days of Grace]

So, thought I'd listen to Radiosport talkback and only got to the first caller before switching off:

"I won't be supporting the Black Caps this World Cup. For one, they have two Dad's Army members in Mills and Vettori. And they are captained by a guy who staged a coup to get the captaincy."- racist 50-something white farmer, National-voting rugby fan.

 

[Flem274*]

So, thought I'd listen to Radiosport talkback and only got to the first caller before switching off:

"I won't be supporting the Black Caps this World Cup. For one, they have two Dad's Army members in Mills and Vettori. And they are captained by a guy who staged a coup to get the captaincy."- racist 50-something white farmer, National-voting rugby fan.

hahaha yessss i heard this and it was so great.

 

[Days of Grace]

Anyway, the ulimate Smash-'em Bro a.k.a. Earned tha Right 2b Aggressive a.k.a. All Icing No Cake XI that I want to see in this World Cup

McCullum
Ryder
Taylor
Munro
Anderson
Neesham
Ronchi
NcCullum
Southee
McClenaghan
Milne

 

[Athlai]

So, thought I'd listen to Radiosport talkback and only got to the first caller before switching off:

"I won't be supporting the Black Caps this World Cup. For one, they have two Dad's Army members in Mills and Vettori. And they are captained by a guy who staged a coup to get the captaincy."- racist 50-something white farmer, National-voting rugby fan.

Who listens to the radio these days?

 

[harsh.ag]

Neesham's out though right? Who is Elliot?

 

[Flem274*]

Anyway, the ulimate Smash-'em Bro a.k.a. Earned tha Right 2b Aggressive a.k.a. All Icing No Cake XI that I want to see in this World Cup

McCullum
Guptill
Taylor
Munro
Anderson
Neesham
Ronchi
NcCullum
Southee
McCleaghan
Henry

Lacks Milne, Boult and Lachie Ferguson.

 

[BeeGee]

Which again makes an absolute mockery of the fact Latham wasn't tried once as an opener in the 5 games in the UAE in spite of Guptill being injured for most of that series.

This coupled with the fact Boult didn't play in the UAE ODIs at all just defies logic for me, which is surprising given how calculated McHessgar (bmac, hesson & edgar) have been in the last 12-18 months.

Well, the only explanation I can come up with is that Boult was already in and Henry was already out of the 15 man squad before the UAE ODIs began, which is why the performances in that series have had no impact on the WC squad selection.

 

[BeeGee]

So, thought I'd listen to Radiosport talkback and only got to the first caller before switching off:

"I won't be supporting the Black Caps this World Cup. For one, they have two Dad's Army members in Mills and Vettori. And they are captained by a guy who staged a coup to get the captaincy."- racist 50-something white farmer, National-voting rugby fan.

I thought I made some good points. Now I've got to go milk the cows and later I'll watch my video of the Cavaliers tour.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Disappointed to see Elliot in the team. Don't dislike the man, but it's not like he's played international cricket for a while and at 35, he's really yesterday's man. Would've preferred James Neesham.

Also surprised that no-one's questioning Adam Milne's place. His record thus far in all formats isn't flash; he just doesn't take many wickets, especially for a bloke with his pace. I agree that his recent form has been ok, but Henry's has been way better and he's not there, so...

 

[GGG]

Fine with Elliots selection but not with Henry missing out. 16 tins of Spam I would have Henry for Milne if Boult must be included. And Latham? Well as a back up I guess he is OK but Elliot should start.

 

[Days of Grace]

Fixture List

2/14 Sri Lanka at Christchurch
2/17 Scotland at Dunedin
2/20 England at Wellington
2/28 Australia at Auckland (licks lips)
3/8 Afghanistan at Napier
3/13 Bangladesh at Hamilton

I can see us topping this group but I noticed on the fixture list that the top team in Group A has to go to Sydney for the quarter final and if they win that go back to Auckland for the semi-final.

Fixtures, Schedule | ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 | ESPN Cricinfo

But in the article on the squad announcement on cricinfo, they mentioned that New Zealand will only go to Australia if they make the final. Confused.

 

[Dick Rockett]

If NZ makes the quarter finals, they will play it in Wellington. If they make the semis, they will play it in Auckland.

If Australia makes the quarter finals, they will play it in Adelaide. If they make the semis, they will play it in Sydney.

If NZ and Aus meet in a semi, the team with the better group stage record will have home advantage.

 

[Days of Grace]

So they will change it to suit the home teams. Okay, fair enough.

 

[Athlai]

God imagine if there is a NZ/SL final in the Australian super stadiums. There will be more empty seats than at a Backstreet Boys reunion concert.