Contracts: Happy or Not

CONTRACTS: HAPPY OR NOT!!!!

Well the New Zealand selectors have come out and announced their 20 contracted players for the next 12 months. There were few changes from last year and no fresh faces to the side that has been travelling in recent months but there are some faces that just won't go away.

When do you think the best time to breed new players into a national squad is? I think after the World Cup seems to be the perfect time. Okay then, I agree that young players like Jesse Ryder and Rob Nicol shouldn't be thrown an extra pay check without proving themselves at international cricket but really my national team seems to have the tag 'If you get in, you stay even if you fail 90% of the time'.

Okay you are now telling me that I am just some sports reporter with no idea about how hard cricket at the top level is. Maybe but why should extra money be paid out to guys who aren't performing. I am talking about the Matthew Sinclair's and the Matthew Horne's here. Are we afraid of saying 'Sorry, but you need to go away and work hard on your footwork '?

If we don't have 20 players that are good enough to contract then maybe we should only contract 15. Make them work hard for the extra dollars.

Chris Nevin's dumping was a surprise to me. He only toured Sri Lanka because of the injury to Nathan Astle, but he did get some runs and he was the best opening partner to Fleming that we have had for some time. But then why would you play him in the first place if he wasn't going to take the gloves? Wouldn't you take a young top order batsman.

Paul Hitchcock had to go as he hadn't played international cricket since the contracts were chosen last year and Chris Martin was hardly standing out in domestic cricket let alone getting near the countries first XI.
Kyle Mills doesn't bowl outstanding but has shown that he is handy when one of our first choice attack breaks down. And he has rescued the Black Caps a couple of times with the bat.

Paul Wiseman did deserve the last spot. He has had his bad times recently but showed good experience in Sri Lanka and had a good tour overall. While he is not a long term option it does give our younger spinners a chance to develop more before they are thrown into the big time.

Surely we won't be seeing Chris Harris at another World Cup. Yes he has saved New Zealand many times but now he is close to being pushed out of the squad. He was a spare part in South Africa but New Zealand always seem to come running back to him.

Craig McMillan is a name we haven't heard about for a long time. He is class though and form is temporary. Lets hope that next year Craig will be scoring runs like he was a few years ago.

The people that matter have made their selections and now I will just have to hope that they do blood some new players in India, Pakistan and in the series coming in the next few years. Otherwise we could get to the next World Cup and a few injuries could put us out of contention. I think our cricket has never looked brighter but we are living in the past. New exciting players is just what we need. Give them an opportunity and we could be the next team that other countries fear.





Posted by Tamara