***Official*** Pakistan in New Zealand 2017/18

[vandem]

...Dropping Phillips after a couple of bad innings with the bat seems hasty, Kitchen getting in ahead of Chapman because of his bowling then only bowls 1 over in the 3 T20Is. Just too much mixing and matching and becoming hypocritical. Not sure why Blundell was the go to keeper after dropping Phillips either. Surely Seifert would have been a better option?...

Phillips looked like an out-of-form boundary hitter who didn't know how to rotate the strike as a middle-over player.

Blundell had been playing middle order in domestic T20, and had recent experience as part of the Black Caps team. Seifert had been opening. So two reasons to pick Blundell.

(edit, hadn't realised Blundell had been batting at #3 in T20 this season, so perhaps only 1 + 1/2 reasons to pick Blundell ahead of Seifert ....)

IMHO main problem is now Kane. Staring with Caribbean Premier League (171 runs @ 17, SR only 89 !!!), his T20 form has been poor. Seems to lack confidence to invent boundary options in power play. Seems to be hitting to fielders more than in previous seasons.

 

[Blain]

Congrats Pakistan, showed us how to play the last couple matches for sure.

I too am bemused by the selections. Blundell was opening in the Supersmash. Seifert is in better form, and surely with Munro out, we could have put Seifert, Phillips or Blundell to open (I don't think Blundell should be the T20 side, lacks power in the late stages, however his laps can work up the order).

CDG is a 5-6 option bowler in this format. Southee is questionable. Death bowling is lacking. Kitchen is Kitchen (WTF). Rhance, don't play him unless it's swinging conditions. If it's not swinging, bring in Fergo for pace.

We just seem a bitall over the place with the T20 team, it's like Hesson doesn't take it seriously. Most the guys they bring in aren't that great at T20, and are more 50 over players (Kitchen, Blundell, Wheeler, Rhance).

I think it's time NZ has a T20 coach. It's the way the world is going, and it makes sense.

 

[Zinzan]

Well played Pakistan, although the NZ selectors were the biggest contributors to their win if we're honest.

How many Williamson 9 off 14 (when needing close to 10 an over) type innings will they keep tolerating before contemplating whether he actually warrants his position in the side. I know his overall numbers aren't so bad, but in 16 innings in the last 2 years he averages 25 with SR of 110... unacceptable for any other player, but I guess they feel they need to give him a pass.

Also, Kitchen, Blundell & Rance proved terrible selections, and why didn't Ferguson get a chance at all? And the knee-jerk dropping of the talented Phillips says something about our selectors. Dumb dumb dumb.

 

[Athlai]

Pakistan bowled really well but it was pretty disappointing only seeing Taylor looking like he was in good nick

 

[Zinzan]

Pakistan bowled really well but it was pretty disappointing only seeing Taylor looking like he was in good nick

Form is one thing, but I worry more about the lack of intent from our batsmen, especially when chasing big scores. The irony is Guptill is & has been absolutely ruthless when it doesn't really matter, like if we're chasing a small score to win against Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, Guppy will keep going and whack 50 off 20 balls. But when we're chasing 180+, he retreats to this more careful calculated game which allows the RRR to get up. The approach chasing up top in these last two games has been bizarre at best.

 

[Flem274*]

im not sure i rate phillips tbh. i think he got badly shown up on the mildly tricky pitch where munro and taylor were in cruise control

 

[vandem]

... I think it's time NZ has a T20 coach. It's the way the world is going, and it makes sense.

Was impressed by Hopkins (ND) this summer. Changed the team selection and approach, more batting all-rounders, more hitting from 1st over. Note that most ND top / middle order had significant higher SRs than pre-season career averages (Devcich 168 vs 124, Seifert 146 vs 125, Brownlie 160 vs 141, Flynn 149 vs 124, Mitchell 142 vs 117).

Unfortunately the round-robin success in World T20 in India, where we had wins defending 126, 142, 180 and 145, seems to have set the template for Kane and the middle order. Seems that the only way we can get 180+ is if Munro fires at the top. Otherwise we are a 150 - 160 team which won't win us many games.

 

[jcas0167]

Form is one thing, but I worry more about the lack of intent from our batsmen, especially when chasing big scores. The irony is Guptill is & has been absolutely ruthless when it doesn't really matter, like if we're chasing a small score to win against Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, Guppy will keep going and whack 50 off 20 balls. But when we're chasing 180+, he retreats to this more careful calculated game which allows the RRR to get up. The approach chasing up top in these last two games has been bizarre at best.

The Pakistan attack deserve credit here too. Kohli rates Amir the best he's faced and he certainly lifted in the T20's. I think there is a handful of exceptional players who can dominate against bowlers of that calibre (McCullum, Ryder, Munro maybe). It makes me wonder whether Chapman or Devcich would have made much of a difference. The Kippax collection of Chapman against short-pitched bowling comes to mind. That said, he should have been given an opportunity.

 

[TheBrand]

im not sure i rate phillips tbh. i think he got badly shown up on the mildly tricky pitch where munro and taylor were in cruise control

I definitely dont rate Phillips as a middle order player. He's had next to no experience in that role, so what did they think was going to happen? Would have definitely put him to open with Munro out for the last game.

 

[SteveNZ]

I am glad I don't give a monkey's **** about T20 internationals, so I can largely brush off anything that happened.

But I guess it provides concern with the level of ineptness in selection and planning that was the major contributor in why we lost the series. Making an opener like Glenn P bat in the middle order when he's never batted there at any level. The selection of Anaru at all, then shunting him around from position to position like he's some incredibly gifted hitter who can provide impetus at any time, which he isn't. And the bizarre rationale that he provides a bowling option, and bowls 1 over in the series. To that order, Ross should've batted 3 in the third match when Manu was out. Now they're continuing to pick Anaru on a 'pick and stick' rationale when it's really just they're stubborn, where the rest of us can see there's no possible hope he can offer much of anything to this team going forward.

Can't at all see us competing with Australia or England, who have much better T20 comps and more fit for purpose T20 players than we do. But then again I don't care if we do. Sometimes I wonder if the selectors do either.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Phillips, Blundell and Seifert all batted in the top 3 in the Super Smash. Dane Cleaver has experience as a middle order finisher, but I wouldn't mind Henry Nicholls having a crack with the keeping gloves even if he's a part-time. He is averaging 55 at a good s/r in home ODIs this summer and can invent