Your countries worst XI this century

[cnerd123]

Not hating, he was an honest trier. But had no real ability. At all.

Even with his fielding, he used to put in so much effort.. but he was a very ordinary catcher.

Or his running between the wickets, where he used to scamper so hard. But still get run out all the time because he was poor at judging runs and communicating with his partners.

I did not expect this heel turn from you vcs

 

[SteveNZ]

This is the only XI in New Zealand history where opening batsmen will find it hard to earn a spot.

 

[harsh.ag]

Not hating, he was an honest trier. But had no real ability. At all.

This only makes ***** love him more.

 

[Furball]

Like I literally opened this thread thinking 'Oh, finally an XI I can pick Rohit Sharma for!', and then I go see some **** included Mohammed Kaif in the team.

Nohit Sharma since test debut: 34 innings, 896 runs, 7 50s, 0 100s, Avg 28.90
Mohammed Kaif career: 22 innings, 624 runs, 3 50s, 1 100, Avg 32.84 <-- this including a matchwinning 50 and partnership with Parthiv Patel against Warne & Co at the peak of their powers in 2004

For shame.

Sharma's a great example of what I was looking for.

A World Dud XI (min qualification to be decided) would be an interesting team.

 

[social]

1. Adam Lyth - 265 runs at 20.58
2. Ed Smith - 87 runs at 17.40
3. Ravi Bopara - 575 runs at 31.94, 1 wicket at 290
4. James Vince - 212 runs at 19.27
5. Usman Afzaal - 83 runs at 16.60
6. Samit Patel - 151 runs at 16.77, 7 wickets at 60.14
7. Geriant Jones - 960 runs at 26.66, endless dropped catches
8. Zafar Ansari - 49 runs at 9.80, 5 wickets at 55
9. Saj Mahmood - 20 wickets at 38.10
10. Boyd Rankin - 1 wicket at 81
11. Amjad Khan - 1 wicket at 122

Saj Mahmood probably doesn't deserve to be here given that he actually took some wickets but 10 years on I continue to be offended by his selection over Anderson

God that's horrible

 

[social]

Yes I actually don't mind Watson and think he gets an occasional bad deal on here for his test performances. I think he did ok in test cricket and like Moeen filled a few different roles in his career. People just remember the lbws and suchlike. I was just illustrating the point that if Watson is included then Ali is also a candidate.

Watson is pretty mediocre though in terms of Aussie players that have played so many games in recent times but that's a very high standard. Moeen's figures aren't too bad comparatively to former England players. Giles, Embury and Tuffnell averaged 41, 38 and 38 with the ball respectively and they are 3rd, 4th and 5th in the England spin bowling wicket taker list since the 1980s started.

Oz can only dream of having Watto atm

I think he got a raw deal in England when he was on the receiving end of a few very marginal "umpire's call" lbws.

IMO, he was given on the basis of reputation and I have no doubt that others would've gotten away with them

 

[Zinzan]

Minimum 5 Matches

NZ XI
1. MJ Horne
2. MJ Papps
3. AJ Redmond
4. JM How
5. JAH Marshall
6. GD Elliott
7. RG Hart+
8. PJ Wiseman
9. BP Martin
10. MJ Henry
11. BJ Arnel

12. Post 2006-James Franklin

FTR - Matthew Horne wasn't one of our worst openers by any stretch.

My side is far worse IMHO

Michael Papps
Peter Ingram
James Marshall
Rob Nicol* 6
Henry Nicholls
Grant Elliott 3
Gareth Hopkins+
Grant Bradburn 4
Bruce Martin 5
Brett Arnel 2
Andy McKay 1

Edit: Just noticed your 5 match min. I'd used 2.

 

[NZTailender]

FTR - Matthew Horne wasn't one of our worst openers by any stretch.

My side is far worse IMHO

Michael Papps
Peter Ingram
James Marshall
Rob Nicol* 6
Henry Nicholls
Grant Elliott 3
Gareth Hopkins+
Grant Bradburn 4
Bruce Martin 5
Brett Arnel 2
Andy McKay 1

Edit: Just noticed your 5 match min. I'd used 2.

Horne was pretty good but his returns after 1 Jan 2001 were incredibly bad - averaged 16 from a decent amount of matches.

I mean, Grant Elliott is probably the best player to feature on our lists - but his Test returns were just awful.

Edit: I was tempted to throw Nicholls in and only have people who played in their batting positions but I figured I could go john Bracewell on it and include the plethora of mediocre batsmen who have been through the side - most of them openers. I might do a Purely by Position XI

 

[Zinzan]

Matt Henry probably does deserve to be there or thereabouts too, but I keep finding it difficult to accept he may be an utter Test-hack, because like Guptill he can look so impressive at times.

But we might have to accept Henry may well be the bowling Guptill.

 

[NZTailender]

NZ XI by Position - Min 3 matches in that position - bowlers chosen by average of their bowling position.

1. HJH Marshall
2. M Papps
3. DR Flynn
4. HM Nicholls
5. PG Fulton
6. GD Elliott
7. RA Young+
8. JEC Franklin (4)
9. D Bracewell (1)
10. M Henry (2)
11. BJ Arnel (3)

Bit of an inconsistent lineup, given Nathan Astle batted at 4 in the period defined and averaged 9, but including him seemed wrong. Henry and Bracewell have been **** with the new cherry, whilst Franklin bowled second change 11 times and took 3 wickets at 146, while Wiseman et al could've gotten ahead of him there on 'merit'.

 

[NZTailender]

Matt Henry probably does deserve to be there or thereabouts too, but I keep finding it difficult to accept he may be an utter Test-hack, because like Guptill he can look so impressive at times.

But we might have to accept Henry may well be the bowling Guptill.

He needs a prolonged run in a position which is well defined with a coherent plan from his captain in what he should do. He's been part of a four man pace attack iirc, first change, opening bowler...and he's had very limited success. It'd be great to fit him into the setup because at his best he's irresistible but he hasn't been like that in quite a while, especially when you consider his initial ODI success. Really, he should be simply gunning for Southee's spot, rather than trying to get into the attack alongside him. Boult is clearly our best NBB, while Wagner is the perfect - and world's best - first change bowler right now. Bar a serious injury, or NZ cricket getting real with Southee, he'll probably just drift in and out of games and never live up to his potential. Job security works wonders for peoples confidence - though not for the likes of Guptill I guess, so you may be onto something with the comparison.

 

[Zinzan]

Yeah although my comparison with Guptill was more to do with him likely going on to be a fine white ball bowler, but poor red-ball one.

But now you say it, even his white ball bowling isn't quite as good as when he first burst onto the scene around 2014.

I think the biggest adjustment he needs to make in Tests is to adapt better to the length required on various wickets. He bowls the odd cracking delivery but bowls too short a length to get the edge regularly against top Test batters.

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah although my comparison with Guptill was more to do with him likely going on to be a fine white ball bowler, but poor red-ball one.

But now you say it, even his white ball bowling isn't quite as good as when he first burst onto the scene around 2014.

I think the biggest adjustment he needs to make in Tests is to adapt better to the length required on various wickets. He bowls the odd cracking delivery but bowls too short a length to get the edge regularly against top Test batters.

The whole bowling setup has gone off the boil. It's easy to point out since Bond left it's gone downhill but iirc some of this stuff started creeping in while he was still at the helm.

 

[Jono]

Haha I do remember kaif getting run out cos be was fasting and cramped up. What a legend.

 

[honestbharani]

You guys are forgetting the best bit about it all. He had a runner.

 

[Jono]

that's right, and the runner was in his crease but Kaif forgot and so left his crease and was unable to get back in because he cramped up.

hahahah. so good. I remember Ganguly's face

 

[Flem274*]

NZ team of guys who got long runs based on there being no competition and picking loads of openers is cheating

Martin Guptill (47 tests, average of 29)
Jamie How (19 tests, average of 22)
Peter Fulton (23 tests, average of 25)
Daniel Flynn (24 tests, average of 25)
James Marshall (7 tests, average of 19)
Grant Elliott (5 tests, batting average 10, bowling average 35)
James Franklin mk II (cbf finding the averages for this period but they must be amazing considering his overall career batting average is 20 and his bowling average ballooned from 70w @ 27 to 82w @ 34)
Robbie Hart (11 tests, average of 16 but a solid keeper from memory)
Doug Bracewell (27 tests, batting average 13, bowling average 38)
Jeetan Patel (21 tests, bowling average of 48)
Brent Arnel (6 tests, bowling average of 62)

 

[Jono]

Bracewell, that is fairly unlucky.

 

[vcs]

Bracewell, that is fairly unlucky.

Sums up his career

 

[Howe_zat]

James Franklin mk II (cbf finding the averages for this period but they must be amazing considering his overall career batting average is 20 and his bowling average ballooned from 70w @ 27 to 82w @ 34))

10 tests, 303 runs at 18.93, high score 52, 6 wickets at 107.16, best figures 2/61