The End for Chris Cairns?

[Blaze]

Dropped for NZ's tour of South Africa.

Personally I think we have seen the last of him. He is past it IMO and jsut doesn't play enough cricket these days to build up any kind of form. Lost his passion for the game too I would say.

 

[Craig]

I would say he is gone too.

Ah well at least I will never forget some of his great batting performances in ODI cricket and some brilliant spells with the ball (geez when he gets going with the bat there is almost no stopping him).

And seeing him cart Shane Warne and belt for some almighty sixes (like the one or two that once went out of Spohia Gardens in 1999) is also a special memory for me as well.

In fact you could take your pick at some the huge ones he has hit.

 

[_Ed_]

It's a shame to see him go out in that way but he was really quite poor in Zimbabwe and it isn't fair to continue to automatically select him when there are better options around, and I believe the likes of Jacob Oram (although he was disappointing in Zimbabwe too) and Andre Adams fit that bill.

 

[Blaze]

To be fair to him he bowled very, very well in the chappell hadlee trophey and then had a good knock in that world XI game in melbourne. I suppose if he wants it enough we might see him again.

What has Bracewell said about it?

 

[Blaze]

Coach John Bracewell, however, said the dropping of the 35-year-old for the series starting on October 23 did not signal an end to Cairns's international career.

"Chris Cairns was not selected due to issues with his cricket fitness," Bracewell said in a statement.

"I have met with Chris to discuss his non-selection and what is required for him to play his way back into the side.

"He is focused on playing in the World Cup (in 2007) and will have plenty of opportunity to return to form and full match fitness over the domestic season. He will be considered for a return to international cricket later in the summer.

 

[Zinzan]

Sad if it is all over for Cairnsy. Its hard to know if Bracewell is using a slight injury as a gentle way of dropping him or whether he genuinely mean't what he said about w.cup 2007.

If it is over for Cairns.....you'd have to say like Martin Crowe, because of injuries, he will be remembered as one of the great players of his era as opposed to one of the greats of all time. People forget that Cairns missed over half the tests he could have played between 1990 and 2004 through injury !!

 

[archie mac]

I always thought his was a career unrealised, a great talent, sometimes things looked to easy for him.

 

[Zinzan]

I always thought his was a career unrealised, a great talent, sometimes things looked to easy for him.

yes ...well the fact he missed so many tests thru injury literally mean't his career was unrealised.

And he was at full fitness a great athlete....Many don't know that Cairns was a very promising rugby player as a teenager. He not only kept Andrew Mertens out of the Christchurch Boys first XV as a first 5 for a couple of years but also made the NZ under 17s rugby side. Many believe that if it wasn't for his cricketing father, he would have probably played rugby instead...as it it NZ's most popular game. Lucky for NZ cricket he chose to continue the family tradition

 

[Sir Redman]

I started thinking Cairns was past it a couple of years ago. Then, after that hundred against South Africa at Auckland I thought he'd proved me wrong and was finally going to string some consistent performances together. Sadly that hasn't happened, and while his bowling has been pretty good recently I think his batting has been terrible - barring the ODI fifty in Australia last year and the Tsunami match 50 he just hasn't looked like scoring.

It is kind of sad when you consider how good he could have been. Yes, he had plenty of trouble with injuries but he still had so many opportunities to really stamp his mark on the game yet missed out. As others have said, he was utterly devastating on his day but his day just didn't happen often enough.

 

[Blaze]

^ Not true. That was Geoff Allot. Cairns played on the wing and couldn't tackle. He admitted that himself. Wouldn't have gone far in rugby.

 

[Zinzan]

^ Not true. That was Geoff Allot. Cairns played on the wing and couldn't tackle. He admitted that himself. Wouldn't have gone far in rugby.

Are you sure ??? I've got his book and there is a photo of him in the NZ under 17 rugby team, so I know thats true....and I'm sure it stated in the book about him keeping Merts out of the first 5 position at ChCh Boys.

 

[sledger]

probably one of the worst decisions i have ever seen tbh.

 

[honestbharani]

It will really be a sad day if Cairns announces his retirement. He has been one of the most exciting players ever produced by New Zealand and was, at full flow, as good an all rounder as any in world cricket. I hope he still has some left in him, but if he is not good enough, he shouldn't tarnish his legacy by playing on, IMO.

 

[Craig]

^ Not true. That was Geoff Allot. Cairns played on the wing and couldn't tackle. He admitted that himself. Wouldn't have gone far in rugby.

Now Geoff Allott and Shayne O'Connor are two guys their careers went unrealised or didn't reach their full potential because of the staggering amount of injuries they suffered. If Richard comes on here again and sees this thread he will tell you how great these two were in their playing days.

Is there a disease that when any New Zealander who can bowl quick and breaks down with a major injury running through tNZ?

Or the coaching/development system is poor (if the consistant amount of potential career threatening injuries that happen questions must be asked?)?

 

[Craig]

probably one of the worst decisions i have ever seen tbh.

Eh?

Did you not see the reasons outlined (if they are true of course)?

It would be like picking Flintoff or Harmison when they are completely not fit enough to play for England.

 

[Blaze]

Are you sure ??? I've got his book and there is a photo of him in the NZ under 17 rugby team, so I know thats true....and I'm sure it stated in the book about him keeping Merts out of the first 5 position at ChCh Boys.

Positive. I know he played NZ Under 17s but Geoff Allot was the one who kept Mehrts out.

 

[thierry henry]

Cairns is 3 years older than Mehrts so it wouldn't have been such an achievement anyway.

I don't really see Cairns' career as a career unrealised, his test record is still damn good. Without the injuries he might have played 100 tests and gone down as the equal of Botham, Imram etc, but as it is he is still close.

 

[shaka]

Sad to see Cairns miss out, probably call a press conference to announce his retirement very soon. He has had a great career, ruffled a few feathers, and hit Warne and co for many six hits. He has however seemed off his game for a while now and he probably knows that the end is close.

 

[Zinzan]

I don't really see Cairns' career as a career unrealised, his test record is still damn good. Without the injuries he might have played 100 tests and gone down as the equal of Botham, Imram etc, but as it is he is still close.

Well it was unrealised....as you've pointed out yourself. As i said, he will be remembered as one of the great players of his era....whereas if it wasn't for injuries he may well have gone on to be one of the great allrounders of all time. As it stands when looking at his record, he may sneak into the top 10 allrounders ever, but only just.
I've never known a cricketer who had so many different injuries thoughout his career. From back to shoulder to ankle to groin.....the list is endless

 

[marc71178]

It would be like picking Flintoff or Harmison when they are completely not fit enough to play for England.

Except England have done that on numerous occasions with Flintoff.

I personally think this decision owes a little bit to the stupid super-sub rule.