New Zealand- could they just win it?
 

Peeps,

Here's the Kiwi squad for the 20-20:

Daniel Vettori (captain)
Neil Broom
Ian Butler
Brendon Diamanti
James Franklin
Martin Guptill
Brendon McCullum
Nathan McCullum
Peter McGlashan
Kyle Mills
Iain O’Brien
Jacob Oram
Jesse Ryder
Scott Styris
Ross Taylor


While a LOT of their chances depends on the big guns firing more often than not (and if they don't, they'll look very ordinary), does anyone think they can actually win it?

Cos I do.

Based on what little I know of the Black Caps, I'd probably go with something like-

B.McCullum (wk)
Ryder
Guptill
Taylor
Oram
Styris
N.McCullum
Diamanti
Vettori (c)
O'Brien
Butler

I don't really like Kyle Mills for limited overs and Diamanti and Butler's stats are impressive.

Nathan McCullum can do some part-tiome spin and slogging which is always a good combo for 20-20 (Yuvraj, Afridi etc).

If England don't win the limited overs tournaments, I mean WHEN England don't win the limited overs tournaments, I hope the Kiwis do. They're the perennial underdogs.

Anyways, anyone agree they can win itand/or with my XI (particularly the New Zealanders on the board since you know more than me).

- Steve

For about a year now I have been saying to people I really fancy NZ to win the T20 world cup. They have guys through the order that can send the ball flying over the bondaries with great ease. With plenty of bowling options too they are the team I fancy to win it. Not favourites as such but I can see them winning it.

I was more confident about the 2007 World Cup...

Then we hit Sri Lanka..

That we did.

McCullum
Ryder
Guptill
Taylor
Styris
Oram
McGlashan
McCullum
Vettori
Mills
Butler

Diamanti is crap and Mills is one of the best limited overs bowlers in the world.

O'Brilliant misses out because he's a little to hittable in 20/20. Test specialist ftw. James Franklin is in the same boat, though with his allround ability he'd slot in at 6/7 if Oram went down.

Butler I can see having a big impact. His so called career ending injury hasn't resulted in much loss of pace at all really, can still get it down there at 140+, plus with the body he has he's always going to be a short spell shock bowler in any format he plays, so he can charge in for 4 overs. Butler is the dark horse in the NZ side imo, he's basically got all the material he had pre-injury except this time he can bowl in a straight line.

I think we have a good chance, the 2007 WC team was probably one of the best limited overs sides we've fielded though but it ran into Murali (such a pity Fleming, Fulton, McMillan, and Bond are either gone or in Fultons case caught Sinclair Syndrome), so I don't know if we can win this one.

Would go with this XI as well. Batting down to 11, and 7 bowling options.

Think one of Taylor and Ryder have to make consistent scores, and then if McCullum fires it's a bonus. Lots of guys who could win a game off their own bat in that side, but also the possibility of being 3/SFA.

Personally I'd bat Butler ahead of Mills and possibly Vettori - he can hit a seriously long ball. Would leave McGlashan out - Flem's just picking him because he does a blog for CW...

Ryder
McCullum, B
Guptill
Taylor
Styris
Broom
Oram
McCullum, N
Butler
Vettori
Mills

Bowling options in the form of Mills, Butler, Vettori, Oram, N McCullum and Ryder.

McGlashans done more than Broom in 20/20 (or was that the ODIs he scored 50 in?).

I think he's fine enough as a lower order slogger/wtf is that shot-er in limited overs, though I'm not totally convinced. I hope he's not our number two keeper in tests though.

Well I don't know everything about the New Zealand cricket team but they certainly look to be a solid competitor for the stickball competition known as twenty/20 cricket.

-Decent openers
-Reasonable middle order not the best but certainly not the worst
-Excellent limited over spinner
-Long batting
-Fast bowlers who can keep it reasonably tight
-Lots of decent part time bowlers which I think is pivotal in this format
-One of the best fielding sides in the game.

Certainly looks good on paper they just need to perform to their best and they will be at least in the semifinals.

They certainly have the players, but what concerns me about New Zealand is whether they have the belief. As dark horses they'll do well and probably get to the semis, then when people start talking about them actually winning they'll probably start to underperform.

Well on the winning side of things I think Taylor and McCullum should have a great WC.
On the losing side of things I think our bowlings too weak to win. Though maybe Mills will take to English conditions.

Does anyone remember Southee in England in his first series away from home? He absolutley dominated infact I think he got player of the series, he would of came into serious contention.

I like MIlls, but his SR at international 20-20 level in 26.1 and while Diamanti is still unproven, he has a domestic SR of 13.6, can supposedly swing the ball & gets decent players out though this may be journo BS.

Still it was 50-50 between the 2 and I like Mills as a person, so hopefully he can have a good tournament.

Is McGlashan a better gloveman than McCullum?

It's a shame Shane Bond wasn't restricted to limited overs cricket early on. When he was on form, he could swing the new white ball in @ above 90mph which only top bowlers did.

The top 6 is excellent IMO and there are enough bowlers who can take the pace off the ball that NZ will always be competitive IMHO (Oram, Styris, Ryder, Vettori, N.McCullum).

Realistically you'll meet India, Australia and Pakistan so that's a tought group. However I'll be a honourary Kiwi for the Australia game, and hopefully you'll also beat Pakistan and go through 2nd.