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

[hendrix]

lol Hendrix, once again, I just don't understand your Watling selection. Seems a wasted selection in the squad of 15 considering you have Bmac & Latham to cover the keeping duties even if Ronchi gets injured.

Watling is one of our best batsmen. It's that simple.

He covers positions 1-7 plus keeping.

I don't want either Latham or McCullum keeping in the event of a Ronchi injury.

 

[Flem274*]

We can't go fiddling around 14 games or so out from the world cup so if we're going to play an inexperienced player in our best team (which the opener definitely will be) then we need to give them almost every ODI between now and the world cup.

Martin Guptill - Our best opener by a distance and one of the best fielders in the world. Match winner with bat, hands and throwing arm.
Tom Latham - It would be nice to have Hesson's allrounder up the order but it's not going to be one of the openers. Latham is flat out the best batsman of those competing for this spot, so he plays barring another Ryder recall.
Kane Williamson - Obv. Hopefully he can bowl and bowl decently by then.
Ross Taylor - Obv.
Brendon McCullum - Obv.
Corey Anderson - Has the experience and form under his belt that Neesham doesn't right now. Is the better bowler of the two right now as well which clinches it.
Luke Ronchi - I don't trust his glovework as much as Watling's but he deserves his spot.
Daniel Vettori - Hopefully he plays.
Kyle Mills - On the condition he bowls the majority of his overs up front. He's in my NZ AT ODI XI and dropping 200 odd wickets from the squad because he's old is silly. He's a genuine wicket taker at the top of the innings too. If he gets hit around in the group stages, drop him.
Tim Southee - Obv.
Mitchell McClenaghan - Expensive. Gets wickets. Is a big risk but has big rewards.

Matt Henry - Will be one of our best ever bowlers in tests and ODIs if/when he gets his chance. Covers Mills and Southee. Lacks experience.
Adam Milne - Has the pace and swing to win world cups, but lacks experience. Covers Mitch.
BJ Watling - Should never have been dropped. Since his recall but before Hesson made him open he averaged 59.28 from 10 games (half his career) at a strike rate of 74. absolutely ridiculous he was dumped. The perfect accumulator wicket keeper bat for #5.
Jimmy Neesham - Second best ODI allrounder we have.

 

[hendrix]

I'd go with the same but I want Boult over McCleneghan.

 

[Howsie]

You're kidding yourself if you don't believe Trent Boult will make the World Cup squad.

 

[Dan]

I'd go with the same but I want Boult over McCleneghan.

I don't rate McCleneghan whatsoever, but he has 50 ODI wickets in 24 games at a <25 average. He's not missing the squad, and he's certainly above Boult in the ODI pecking order. I mean, McCleneghan actually plays ODIs.

There's nothing stopping Boult from becoming a very good ODI bowler, but he isn't one now and won't be one in 2 months time. I think he's competing with Milne for the second reserve quick spot, and with Milne named in the ODI squad while Boult's home to rest, I get the feeling that the NZ selectors don't want to risk losing Boult's Test goodness by trying to artificially force him into an ODI style of bowling overnight.

 

[Dan]

Basically, from this squad the only players I see dropping out for the World Cup (injuries notwithstanding) are Brownlie and Devcich (for Baz and 5outhee).

 

[Flem274*]

You're kidding yourself if you don't believe Trent Boult will make the World Cup squad.

I believe he could make the squad because I have no idea who they will pick. It isn't an easy decision.

That was the realistic squad I would pick right now.

edit: I also think what makes Boult so good in tests makes him so hittable in ODIs. Along the wicket swing bowlers who bowl with good pace on an aggressive length are boom or bust in limited overs with zero middle ground. As Dan said, let him focus on test cricket for now.

 

[cnerd123]

Devcich should open IMO.

 

[vandem]

Basically, from this squad the only players I see dropping out for the World Cup (injuries notwithstanding) are Brownlie and Devcich (for Baz and 5outhee).

But this means no spare batsman apart from Neesham, and 2 spare seamers. So too lop-sided.

Think they need a spare batsman, might be Brownlie, might be a fringe top-5 batsman who bowls 3-4 overs. You know who I mean (not Ryder) ... Next two weeks are very important for these two players. Munro is a long shot but probably needed to do a little more bowling over the last two season.

There'll be a backup spinner (NMac) in case Dan gets too stiff and sore.

Leaves two places, suspect Boult gets one and the 15th spot is for Milne or Henry or Neesham. Next two weeks are very important for these three players. With Anderson in good form and fitness, the need to have Neesham in the squad is not so important, so think they'll take 2 seamers, and shuffle Ronchi / NMac up one slot if Anderson is injured / rested.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

So as a bowling unit we have Southee, probably McClenaghan, and two of Mills, Henry, Boult, Milne, Vettori and NMac. Probably we'll take a horses for courses approach to some extent.

Not sure how anyone can not rate McClenaghan. He might be expensive but he's striking better than Bond did and if we come up against SA at some point we simply have to get de Villers, Amla, de Kock et al. cheaply or we're not going to win.

 

[Hurricane]

In some ways it is a good thing we were missing Kane and Ross against SA - now we can take them by surprise in the tournament. Hopefully SA does not take us seriously and we upset them.

For us to win though Guptill simply has to come good.

 

[hendrix]

.

For us to win though Guptill simply has to come good.

Either that or be dropped. Which would probably mean McCullum and Latham opening. Tasty.

 

[Zinzan]

We can't go fiddling around 14 games or so out from the world cup so if we're going to play an inexperienced player in our best team (which the opener definitely will be) then we need to give them almost every ODI between now and the world cup.

Martin Guptill - Our best opener by a distance and one of the best fielders in the world. Match winner with bat, hands and throwing arm.
Tom Latham - It would be nice to have Hesson's allrounder up the order but it's not going to be one of the openers. Latham is flat out the best batsman of those competing for this spot, so he plays barring another Ryder recall.
Kane Williamson - Obv. Hopefully he can bowl and bowl decently by then.
Ross Taylor - Obv.
Brendon McCullum - Obv.
Corey Anderson - Has the experience and form under his belt that Neesham doesn't right now. Is the better bowler of the two right now as well which clinches it.
Luke Ronchi - I don't trust his glovework as much as Watling's but he deserves his spot.
Daniel Vettori - Hopefully he plays.
Kyle Mills - On the condition he bowls the majority of his overs up front. He's in my NZ AT ODI XI and dropping 200 odd wickets from the squad because he's old is silly. He's a genuine wicket taker at the top of the innings too. If he gets hit around in the group stages, drop him.
Tim Southee - Obv.
Mitchell McClenaghan - Expensive. Gets wickets. Is a big risk but has big rewards.

Matt Henry - Will be one of our best ever bowlers in tests and ODIs if/when he gets his chance. Covers Mills and Southee. Lacks experience.
Adam Milne - Has the pace and swing to win world cups, but lacks experience. Covers Mitch.
BJ Watling - Should never have been dropped. Since his recall but before Hesson made him open he averaged 59.28 from 10 games (half his career) at a strike rate of 74. absolutely ridiculous he was dumped. The perfect accumulator wicket keeper bat for #5.
Jimmy Neesham - Second best ODI allrounder we have.

We already have 2-3 keepers in the squad so due to this utterly superfluous selection of Watling, you don't have room for NcCullum in the squad (one of the few guys we have than who consistently goes for less than 5 an over and is a brilliant fielder), which means we're screwed if Vettori has fitness/form issues, an issue we won't have if there's a problem with Ronchi.

 

[Zinzan]

I'd go with the same but I want Boult over McCleneghan.

Yup, let's not include the 2nd fastest to 50 wickets in the history of ODI's. Why don't we instead go for someone who might be handy as opposed to someone who's already proved to one of the best strikers with the white ball we're ever seen. And unlike Kyle Mills, Mitch is not 35.

 

[Flem274*]

Either that or be dropped. Which would probably mean McCullum and Latham opening. Tasty.

Nope. If Guptill isn't firing by the tournament then we're struggling because we don't have anyone good enough to replace him. Latham has done a grand total of one or two things in his short ODI career to date, and probably in the middle order (cbf checking) and Baz struggled to keep his opening average over 30 against teams who count.

We already have 2-3 keepers in the squad so due to this utterly superfluous selection of Watling, you don't have room for NcCullum in the squad (one of the few guys we have than who consistently goes for less than 5 an over and is a brilliant fielder), which means we're screwed if Vettori has fitness/form issues, an issue we won't have if there's a problem with Ronchi.

McCullum physically can't keep and I can't remember the last time Latham kept wicket in a pro match, and tbh he's not the greatest gloveman anyway. Watling isn't just the keeper - he's the reserve batsman. If you drop him our batting cover is dubious tstl.

Nathan McCullum is unlucky, but this is a tournament in Australia/New Zealand. Respectable suffocation finger spin isn't going to be the decider in this tournament. Pace bowling will win the world cup.

 

[Athlai]

Didn't Guptill kill it in the domestic T20s and top score in the A tour?

 

[Zinzan]

Nope. If Guptill isn't firing by the tournament then we're struggling because we don't have anyone good enough to replace him. Latham has done a grand total of one or two things in his short ODI career to date, and probably in the middle order (cbf checking) and Baz struggled to keep his opening average over 30 against teams who count.

McCullum physically can't keep and I can't remember the last time Latham kept wicket in a pro match, and tbh he's not the greatest gloveman anyway. Watling isn't just the keeper - he's the reserve batsman. If you drop him our batting cover is dubious tstl.

Nathan McCullum is unlucky, but this is a tournament in Australia/New Zealand. Respectable suffocation finger spin isn't going to be the decider in this tournament. Pace bowling will win the world cup.

Whilst I agree it's not ideal having Baz keeping with his back, he can and has. Did it in the ODI series in England last year if my memory serves. Also, anyone watching him sprinting and diving into the boundary to save a run would recognise he's probably more likely to pick up an injury in the outfield as opposed to behind the stumps.

 

[Flem274*]

that's not how backs work.

i don't want to risk our skipper and enter a world cup with light batting cover just to fit in another bowler/allrounder.

 

[hendrix]

Also, anyone watching him sprinting and diving into the boundary to save a run would recognise he's probably more likely to pick up an injury in the outfield as opposed to behind the stumps.

That's completely different to the repetitive strain of wicketkeeping.

 

[Zinzan]

That's completely different to the repetitive strain of wicketkeeping.

Yeah I get the difference & I agree it's not ideal, but just saying he could do it in the unlikely event that Ronchi picked up in injury. McCullum himself said words to that effect last year when we were in that predicament.