***Official*** New Zealand in Bangladesh & Sri Lanka 2013

[Prince EWS]

Meretricious is a word that should be used far more often on cricket forums. Fits our game so well.

 

[Kippax]

Considering Guptill is injured, Ronchi played like ****, Ryder's still not ready and McCullum's keen on batting in the middle-order we really have to be realistic here. Devcich isn't good, and most likely will fail. But considering Rutherford is another opener in this squad and he's only scored 382 runs @ 19.10 in his entire List A career, the Devcich selection really wasn't that bad (990 @ 34.13).

You always seem too swayed by the domestic stats tbh. A bit like the way an endurance athlete thinks carefully about giving themselves a quick sugar hit that may work out for this little tinpot local event but wouldn't work in the event they're building up towards, there are many, many ways to duke the domestic stats. Papps' forward shuffle saw him score a mountain of FC runs, he ditched it for good reason.

 

[jcas0167]

Northern Knights

yeah. Not sure how they'll go in Bangladesh with just NcCullum as the spinner, but there's some serious bowlers there.

3 allrounders is somewhat less than our usual 6-9, so that's good.

Personally think Devcich looked good on the A tour, but the policy should require domestic runs as well and he simply hasn't got them. It's just not good to reward players who haven't really done anything to deserve selection.

He had a pretty good HRV cup last season. High score of 92*, 344 runs from 13 innings at 31.27. Crucially, he looked ok opening in the T20 games against England in Whangarei.

 

[brockley]

No Vettori to save them this time.

 

[hendrix]

Hugely disappointed to see Latham picked as the number 1 keeper, especially given that he was not keeping for NZA, I really hope Latham makes it as an international player, but the way he has been pissed around by Canterbury/NZC i see him being mightly confused.

Oh.

Missed this.

It's absolutely shocking. They could give Watling the gloves, who actually had been our best one day player over the year before he was inexplicably dropped.

Why screw around with another potentially good batsman? He's going to be McCullum mk II

 

[straw man]

More surprising than Devcich is that Munro snuck in there again, despite averaging half a run on the NZ A tour.

Don't want Rutherford playing limited overs cricket for us.

 

[Kippax]

****ing Devcich. Luckily for Royal Stag and Pepsi, he's always tied up and hung by the dashingly brave Unmukt or Chandimal by the end of their little matinée. He works out very nicely in that sense.

 

[Mike5181]

You always seem too swayed by the domestic stats tbh. A bit like the way an endurance athlete thinks carefully about giving themselves a quick sugar hit that may work out for this little tinpot local event but wouldn't work in the event they're building up towards, there are many, many ways to duke the domestic stats. Papps' forward shuffle saw him score a mountain of FC runs, he ditched it for good reason.

Colin Munro is a testament to the fact domestic performances aren't everything. The fact that Devcich had a better domestic record than most of our other options was just one factor. I also consider the likelihood of the player scoring runs in the conditions of the tour, and what potential they have. Admittedly Devcich is behind a few in the latter, but having the ability to score runs in Indian conditions against bowlers similar to what we will encounter in upcoming tours is highly relevant and is in fact the most verifiable way of testing whether or not they're a good chance of succeeding on the Bangladesh and Sri Lankan tours. Casper the Friendly Ghost isn't eligible to open for us here, we have to pick someone.

 

[Blain]

Too much Latham, Devcich, Munro, Elliott and Rutherford for my liking.. But looking around there isn't much alse atm. Our batting is weak as.

Good bowling attack though

 

[Bahnz]

Devcich
Rutherford
Taylor
Williamson
ET
McCullum
Latham (uck)
NcCullum
Southee
Mitch
Mills/Milne


The pitches in Bangladesh are going to be deader than Steve Irwin in a sting-ray tank, so even 3 seamers is arguably one too many. Might've been worth including Bartin in the squad just to give us the option of a 2nd spinner. Still that same slowness in the wicket should be to Ruds' liking, and his ability to take a couple of lumbering steps down the wicket and heave the left arm spinners away over cow corner could come in handy. Reckon Bangladesh should still be favourites to win this series.

 

[Kippax]

Colin Munro is a testament to the fact domestic performances aren't everything. The fact that Devcich had a better domestic record than most of our other options was just one factor. I also consider the likelihood of the player scoring runs in the conditions of the tour, and what potential they have. Admittedly Devcich is behind a few in the latter, but having the ability to score runs in Indian conditions against bowlers similar to what we will encounter in upcoming tours is highly relevant and is in fact the most verifiable way of testing whether or not they're a good chance of succeeding on the Bangladesh and Sri Lankan tours. Casper the Friendly Ghost isn't eligible to open for us here, we have to pick someone.

Watling played Malinga pretty well tbh, you should only be picking Devcich if you intend to keep him on for that obvs. Papps made three anchoring OD tons in March, has been in the UK scoring club runs (low standard cricket no doubt, but wasn't getting even more nuggetty in our winter like I feared).

 

[Hurricane]

Terrific last 6 or 7 posts by you kippax. You have my BOTM loyalty to the death next year.
That two minute clip you posted of Devcich (and we need a nickname for him by the way - I am open to any suggestions) shows some "interesting" shots. Somehow the tour coach didn't care and recommended him anyway.

Regarding bhanz's team. If milne can play would prefer him to get a go rather than Southee. Better for his development. And he is more likely to be up for the games while Tim may be a bit meh about the whole series (even though we may lose).

 

[Mike5181]

Watling played Malinga pretty well tbh, you should only be picking Devcich if you intend to keep him on for that obvs. Papps made three anchoring OD tons in March, has been in the UK scoring club runs (low standard cricket no doubt, but wasn't getting even more nuggetty in our winter like I feared).

Watling should be in the squad now, there's no question about it. I'm not sure his future is in the top order though. I see him more as a number five, and an ideal replacement for someone like Grant Elliot once he inevitably gets dropped.

 

[Flem274*]

New Zealand Cricket - Devcich named in limited overs squad for Bangladesh

will start with the big one. i don't agree at all with devcich. he scored some runs last season but lets not forget 350 was the par 50 overs score and 400 wasn't necessarily a match winning total. michael papps looked like a god and jamie how scored a double hundred. the runs scored were insane. devcich's season doesn't look spectacular at all in context.

as to other untried options, the likes of kitchen belted hundreds in the openers slot, and while hand on heart i couldn't say he's a gun he's a better batsman than devcich. i think bradburn might be the man behind this elevation.

otherwise im mostly happy with the squad. hopefully some one day cricket will encourage rutherford to develop shots all around the wicket so he isn't so easy to cut off in tests.

i agree with mike on watling at five.

my full strength team from that squad would be

latham (wk)
rutherford
williamson
taylor
elliott
mccullum
anderson
nccullum
southee
mills
mcclenaghan

wanna see some milne with the white ball and in the whites though, and neesham to get a crack in the odi's.

 

[Prince EWS]

Watling should be in the squad now, there's no question about it. I'm not sure his future is in the top order though. I see him more as a number five, and an ideal replacement for someone like Grant Elliot once he inevitably gets dropped.

Yeah I agree but at the moment with Elliott far more deserving of a spot than any of the opening options, Watling should be opening at the moment.

Everyone was very quick to say that he shouldn't be opening after a few consecutive failures but he did actually play some really good innings for New Zealand in the top order for a little while, right after his visible improvement as a batsman. He had this series in the West Indies as a middle order batman where he looked good but then he went to Sri Lanka where he played this innings and then this innings in a three match series; they were both top knocks. I realise that Sri Lanka's opening bowlers aren't the litmus test for makeshift openers but neither are Bangladesh's.

I'd be looking at this at a full strength top six:

1. Guptill
2. Watling
3. Williamson
4. Taylor
5. Elliott
6. McCullum

Guptill is injured so even if Watling does open you need another one. From a performance perspective, Devcich is actually as good a pick as any right now. Kippax called him meretricious and while that's a great cricket-forum word and while that's a word that could've been used to describe the guy for most of his career, there actually is some substance there for limited overs cricket. His T20 and List A records are both actually pretty decent particularly when used as an opener, he's backed it up for New Zealand A and in tour games and he can also bowl some darts. The problem with Devcich isn't a lack of performance substance; it's the technique and the temperament. I don't think it's a case of the selectors thinking they know better than the game itself and have picked a rough diamond; it's legitimately justifiable based on performance. I definitely wouldn't have picked him but the fact that I probably would've picked Papps says all you need to know about how good the rest of the options are.

 

[Hurricane]

this is going to be a stream of consciousness post as I cbf to structure it.

I agree with munro being picked. I like in odis that he doesn't **** around. He knows he is a dirty slogger and he just gets on with it. I have been sold on him since his 50 in SA - I just wish he could learn to bowl cutters or swing it so he can be good for 4 overs a game. I have always coveted his bowling action.
If elliot dogs it I wouldn't mind baz going to 5 and munro going to 6. In no way take this an endorsement for him in tests where I would rather debut myself at 40 years old than give him a 2nd run.

The other player that I am chuffed with the selection of is Anderson and I also hope he gets a go ahead of Elliot.

My team

1) Rutherford
2) latham (because he isn't devcich) and keeper
3) williamson (his future is to open with two white balls but latham can't bat three so that will have to wait)
4) Our only batsman
5) Baz
6) Munro
7) Anderson
8) NMac
9) Mills (he has become a great servant of NZ cricket)
10) Milne (promotion to 10 after some gun domestic knocks)
11) Mitch

Quite a Few M's in that bowling line up.

Munro and Kane to be 6th and 7th bowlers.

I realise that Elliot should be in there but my team is built with building for the next world cup in mind.

 

[hendrix]

Latham ahead of Devcich for the opener's spot, IMO. Especially if Watling is playing and Latham ain't keeping.

My order would be:

Latham
Watling
Williamson
Taylor
Elliot
McCullum

 

[Hurricane]

Watling is not in the squad - so won't be playing you know that right? Unless you know something I don't.

 

[hendrix]

^it was in response to PEWS full strength top 6, but I suppose he's looking from the selectors' point of view.

 

[Kippax]

Cricket: Revolving door continues for Black Caps... | Stuff.co.nz

McCullum, whose dodgy back and knees restrict his keeping these days, confirmed to coach Mike Hesson he will keep wicket in the ODIs and T20s, with Tom Latham his backup.

Ronchi clearly needs to return to the middle order in limited overs cricket, and Edgar said he'd probably do that for the rest of the NZA tour to try to force his way back in.

"Luke is still in the frame as a very good keeper. We'd like a few more runs from him, obviously, but he's thereabouts."

Central Districts quick Milne played two ODIs in Sri Lanka last year but has struggled to stay on the park. He returned from an England winter in solid shape and bowling at a good clip for NZA, Edgar said, and provides another genuine strike option. Trent Boult is being saved for test cricket, for now.

Asked if Devcich was well equipped to open at international level, selector and former opener Bruce Edgar said: "We don't know that yet but we have a lot of confidence in him based on what he's done to date.

"He's played a lot of cricket and he's got a good head on him. He's found his game now in the sense of moving from bits and pieces player in the middle to someone who can bat at the top and bat quite aggressively and well. He's also a good player of spin bowling."