Surprise applicants for NZ coach position

[Tim]

A couple of weeks ago I posted a rumour about who some of the applicants for the NZ coaching position were.

However it has been leaked that there have also been several overseas applicants aswell as Bracewell & Rixon.

Bennet King who recently was involved in that controversial mis-understanding with the West Indies aswell as former South African coach Graham Ford.

So there are plenty of options, i'd like to see Steve Rixon have another crack.

 

[Tim]

I guess the recent interest for the NZ job especially from overseas applicants is the fact that in the last 7 or 8 years NZ have not rashly sacked a coach..infact I think every single coach who has been with NZ has fulfilled their contract.

So I guess that offers alot of security to someone applying aswell as the fact that NZ are improving alot as a cricket nation.

 

[hourn]

it'd be very interesting to see who they go for because with some good coaching and a few tweakings here and there they are a team looking to go places.

They could also do with a youth setup similar to Australia, like the youth academy. They might already have one but I'm not sure?

They need to get more out of Stephen Fleming's batting - 5 100's and ave of 38 from 75 tests isn't anything to write home about, and if it wasn't for his great leadership there is no way he would've stayed around this long. That recent 274 however, is a good start.

Horne is definetaly not a test standard opener, and considering he is now 33 they are better off looking in another direction.

The batting is incredibly short - Styris is not a test number 5. He would be a good bowling all rounder batting at 7 with the keeper at 8, but not number 5.

BTW, where is NAthan Astle?? Or was he injured for the Sri Lankan tour?? he should be in there at number 5.

Jacob Oram also seems a rather unpenatrative bowler, although he has had a great start to his test career. Isn't a bad bat - if he improves that aspect, he would turn into a useful number 6 batsmen who bowls a bit.

They don't need two spinners in Wiseman and Vettori - I'd cut Wiseman and bring in a batsmen for now.

 

[Tim]

Astle's injured & is doubtful for the Indian tour in October.

I fully agree with you hourn, NZ need to stop wasting time with players who have been tried 5 or 6 times and continuouslly failed. They also need to fix this balance issue because you're right..Styris is a reasonably good batsman but he's probably more of a #6 or #7.

We've got the talent in the batting..fast bowling is ok for now, but spin is the concern & hopefully NZ cricket will fix the pitch problem in NZ which will allow for spin to take a more active role.

Personally i'd like to see Rixon or King take the job despite NZ developing depth in coaching with Aberhart, Bracewell, Wright etc..I think NZ need to be pushed ahead a little further again by a good Australian coach.

Either Rixon because he's developed a good association and will probably iron out some technical issues with some of our players or King because he can bring his experience of heading the Australian Academy aswell as having success with Queensland.

 

[Tim]

There is a Youth system here...um currently in Christchurch there are 8 youth players who have been selected by NZ cricket because they have shown talent or potential.

One of them is Peter Fulton who hit 300* for Canterbury earlier in the year aswell as a couple of NZ U19 players who have scored runs recently.

However I think NZ could do with some advice from say Bennett King as to how they could improve it some more.

 

[hourn]

We've got the talent in the batting..fast bowling is ok for now, but spin is the concern & hopefully NZ cricket will fix the pitch problem in NZ which will allow for spin to take a more active role.

spin shouldn't be too much of a problem with Vettori but he just needs to work on a few areas.

He's one of the few finger spinners that could create turn so thats HUGE plus. He just needs to add variety and bowl the ball a bit flatter and quicker with less turn every now and then. I still find it hard to believe his bowling average is above 30 cause I would rate him more as a 26-27 bowler or even better if gets some luck.

Doesn't seem much depth there, and there doesn't much depth in the quicks either.

Oram and Styris are two similar players, useful mid-low order bats and medium pace bowlers, and there really is only one spot for a guy like that, and currently I'd have my money on Styris.

Tuffey (who has been a BIG improver over the last year or two) and Bond is a pretty reasonable opening pair. If Bond gained an extra yard of pace he'd be in the best 3 or 4 bowlers in the world easily and isn't far off it now, while Tuffey lends good support.

Vettori and Styris/Oram is a pretty OK back up. But still depth is lacking in both spin and pace.

 

[Tim]

I think we're ok for quicks, theres still Butler & Mason aswell as Hitchcock.

A couple of years back NZ were robbed pretty much with the losses of Nash, Allott, Cairns only half the bowler he was capable of being & just recently Shayne O'Connor.
Simon Doull was ok aswell but I think he's pretty much given it away without really saying he's retired yet.

We've got enough decent quicks in NZ, the problem is, is that I don't see many youth players coming through and that could cause problems in a couple of years time.

I don't see any problems with the batting because from what I've seen we're well covered in that area in terms of youth players.

 

[hourn]

the batting is covered, but you could do with another opener - as you say Horne has been tried and failed countless times.

And as I said you need more from Fleming's batting in the middle order.

Whilst the loss of the bowlers would hurt any nation.

 

[Tim]

I feel sorry for Richardson because he's been through so many partners. We've got Tim McIntosh back here in NZ who's a pretty good left handed opener..he now averages 40 from 35 odd first class games but the selectors go ahead & pick Matt Horne because he's got "experience".

In the ODI's I think if Nevin was able to settle more he might become quite a good player. Not many people rate him because he's got a poor average, but he's got a strike rate of 80 and if the selectors give him some time to improve he could develop. I thought he handled Ahktar very well a couple of days ago, he was bowling very quick at his body & apart from one ball he edged to slips he seemed to play him confidently and thats a good sign from a player who hasn't played competitive cricket for a couple of months.
NZ have also taken the gloves off him, in favour of Brendon McCullum so Nevin now has a chance to really maximise all his efforts on batting.

 

[Kiwi]

I saw one of the acadamy guys bowling a week or two ago and he does have impressive pace. I would rate him quicker than Butler and not far off bond. Richard Sherlock is his name.

I think McIntosh is the test opener and Ryder the ODI player that really need to be there. Nevin is a stop gap. I don't like his batting and don't like his keeping. I believe his keeping will only come off one in 10 times. McCullam and Papps are better options.

Just remember that in the first test Oram only played because STyris injured his shoulder and couldn't bowl.. Jones was going to play.

 

[Tim]

Yeah i've been told that Sherlock is quick..so we'll see how he goes.

Richard Jones batted poorly in the 2 warm up matches so he probably helped to his own demise in the test series.


With Nevin, I think the selectors are gonna give him a decent run as an opener now because they've been heavily criticised by the likes of Martin Crowe & Ian Smith for not persisting with him.
The key for me is that Nevin has a strike-rate of 80 & thats what you want for the ODI game..even if he only ends up averaging 30-35 at the end of the day he's still going to take some gloss off the new ball.

Don't forget that Sehwag only averages around 34 in ODI's..but he has a strike-rate of 100 so that makes him a concern for any team if he pulls off.

 

[Kimbo]

I think Ryder isn't far off. I reckon he's the next big thing in NZ cricket.

 

[Eyes_Only]

Isn't King on a 3 year contract with the Academy??

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think so. That was part of his explanation for turning down the WI coaching position. He said he wanted to carry out his contract with the Academy.

 

[Tim]

The newspaper report i read suggested Bennett King & Graham Ford were the front-runners for the job.

King obviously turned down the West Indies but now he's applying for the NZ job so I don't think he's cemented to his Academy contract if he's being allowed to apply for an international job more than once.

 

[Tim]

Rixon & Wright are definately ruled out because they've signed new contracts with NSW & India respectively.

Apparently Dean Jones is keen on having a go after he coached NZ for the 1st stages of the VB Series a year and a half ago.

Apparently the frontrunners still are: Ford, King & Aberhart.

 

[luckyeddie]

When I saw "Surprise applicants for NZ coach position", I had visions of a REAL surprise - Attila the Hun, Brian Clough, Kiri Ti Kanawa, someone of that ilk.

Oh well. Forgive me - I'm bored.

Henry Ford or Don King? That'd be a surprise.

 

[Eyes_Only]

The newspaper report i read suggested Bennett King & Graham Ford were the front-runners for the job.

King obviously turned down the West Indies but now he's applying for the NZ job so I don't think he's cemented to his Academy contract if he's being allowed to apply for an international job more than once.

Which Paper was that Tim??

 

[lord_of_darkness]

Tims herald

 

[marc71178]

When I saw "Surprise applicants for NZ coach position", I had visions of a REAL surprise - Attila the Hun, Brian Clough, Kiri Ti Kanawa, someone of that ilk.

Oh well. Forgive me - I'm bored.

Henry Ford or Don King? That'd be a surprise.

ROFLMAO - Where would we be without LE?