*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Skyliner]

Fisher, 25, has come a long way since he played as a batter for the North East Valley seconds then had a handful of games for Carisbrook-Dunedin/Kaikorai.
He was a highly rated New Zealand under-19 representative who was nursing a stress fracture in his back through much of his time in Dunedin, where he studied law at the University of Otago.

New Black Caps coach Rob Walter said Fisher’s pace was a valuable asset.
"Matt’s someone we’re really excited about," Walter said.
"He’s one of the fastest bowlers in the country and we think he’s got an X-factor."

‘One of the fastest’ selected for Zimbabwe tests

A former Dunedin club cricketer is the bolter in the Black Caps test squad to play Zimbabwe. Northern Districts pace bowler Matt Fisher is the...

www.odt.co.nz

 

[Bahnz]

You imagine it will be Henry, O'Rourke, Smith and maybe Duffy if they decide to go for a 4-man pace attack, but good to see Fisher getting a sniff. I do think he just looks a bit too injury prone to be a long-term option, but hopefully he can prove me wrong.

 

[SteveNZ]

All I can say in the selectors defence is that Nicholls absolutely does clean up whenever he goes back to the Plunket Shield (averaged 100+ at no 3 last summer). Not saying I agree with the decision, I don't.

Yeah I get that, but one 50 at Test level in his last 20 innings is a pretty crystal clear sign that his days should be numbered. And he's in AWFUL form

 

[SteveNZ]

You imagine it will be Henry, O'Rourke, Smith and maybe Duffy if they decide to go for a 4-man pace attack, but good to see Fisher getting a sniff. I do think he just looks a bit too injury prone to be a long-term option, but hopefully he can prove me wrong.

Yeah, the injury thing worries me and I always thought, sadly, he'd be a T20I specialist in the mould of Milne, Ferguson etc who might be able to build something of a 50-over career (if it still exists). But this is promising, because Fisher actually isn't an effective T20 bowler and is a much better long forms option

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

They'd better not be thinking of giving Nicholls the Magical Farewell Tour like they gave Southee. It was a vomit-inducing **** fest for Southee, but it'd be considerably worse for Nicholls.

Amazed he's not behind a dozen other options - Chapman, Mariu, Kelly, Heaphy, Carter, Abbas, Hay, Phillips (D). Kelly scored two tons on the A tour of Bangladesh and yet, and yet... Stead thinking is still all consuming, it seems.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, the injury thing worries me and I always thought, sadly, he'd be a T20I specialist in the mould of Milne, Ferguson etc who might be able to build something of a 50-over career (if it still exists). But this is promising, because Fisher actually isn't an effective T20 bowler and is a much better long forms option

Sears I think is pretty much already in that white-ball specialist bracket. I look at footage of him bowling in 2019 vs footage of him bowling last summer, and it's hard not to believe that he's lost 10kmh of pace with all the injuries. It's just about time for him to make a call and decide whether he wants to either go the Milne route or retire and go work at Chapman Tripp.

 

[ataraxia]

That is an atrocious selection and not a good sign from Walter. Forget Nicholls over Chapman/Mariu, selecting Blundell over Hay is simply absurd at this point. Also a 36yo Ajaz is not inspiring when he isn't even the best spinner for his domestic team.

 

[Bahnz]

That is an atrocious selection and not a good sign from Walter. Forget Nicholls over Chapman/Mariu, selecting Blundell over Hay is simply absurd at this point. Also a 36yo Ajaz is not inspiring when he isn't even the best spinner for his domestic team.

Ajaz took an 11fer in his last test. Perfectly reasonable to select him, especially considering how long spinners can go on for (Herath was still rolling his arm over in tests at 40).

 

[ataraxia]

Ajaz took an 11fer in his last test. Perfectly reasonable to select him, especially considering how long spinners can go on for (Herath was still rolling his arm over in tests at 40).

He also bowled very crap in the tests prior, looking like he took time to adjust to the conditions. He doesn't have the luxury of time for this series; he'll probably only play one test. He frequently bowled far worse than GP. Not the sort of consistency one desires in an old finger-spinner.

It's obviously understandable but I'd rather a future-looking selection, considering our next subcontinent/WI/Zim tour is to Pakistan in March 2027.

 

[Chubb]

A very disappointing squad when there's a great opportunity to do what SA have done and blood some young players. Nicholls in particular is inexplicable given his form in England let alone his recent test record.

That I might get to see Nathan Smith and Jacob Duffy in the same test team, in Zimbabwe, is a silver lining of sorts.

 

[SteveNZ]

He also bowled very crap in the tests prior, looking like he took time to adjust to the conditions. He doesn't have the luxury of time for this series; he'll probably only play one test. He frequently bowled far worse than GP. Not the sort of consistency one desires in an old finger-spinner.

It's obviously understandable but I'd rather a future-looking selection, considering our next subcontinent/WI/Zim tour is to Pakistan in March 2027.

I hear what you're saying, Ajaz does take time to adjust but that's because he's had woeful backing in the last few years. When he comes in, he's generally not played a Test, or in some cases even a game in so long. I would think of moving on from him, given Santner's late career bloom, but I can't begrudge a guy who has done absolutely nothing wrong, and so much right for NZ in Tests but has been treated pretty shabbily. But I also hear what you're saying in terms of now and the future, although as Bahnz says, there's no reason a guy who hasn't had a huge workload throughout his career couldn't play until his 40s if you wanted him to.

 

[SteveNZ]

That is an atrocious selection and not a good sign from Walter. Forget Nicholls over Chapman/Mariu, selecting Blundell over Hay is simply absurd at this point. Also a 36yo Ajaz is not inspiring when he isn't even the best spinner for his domestic team.

Good point, putting Nicholls is almost a smokescreen for picking Blundell. I have to admit I'm not actually that averse to Blundell over Hay now, if they believe he is the best option for Australia 26-27. But if he doesn't score runs v the West Indies at home, that has to be his last chance saloon. I know a lot of people will say he's already had enough rope and it's time to develop Hay, and I completely get that viewpoint

 

[SteveNZ]

Sears I think is pretty much already in that white-ball specialist bracket. I look at footage of him bowling in 2019 vs footage of him bowling last summer, and it's hard not to believe that he's lost 10kmh of pace with all the injuries. It's just about time for him to make a call and decide whether he wants to either go the Milne route or retire and go work at Chapman Tripp.

Yeah, you're probably right. Playing a lot of franchise cricket, body isn't great, it makes sense. He's always had the fire to prove himself in Tests, and did so on debut, so I do hold out some sort of hope. But the odds are he's a Milne, and it's hard to begrudge him.

 

[Bahnz]

I hear what you're saying, Ajaz does take time to adjust but that's because he's had woeful backing in the last few years. When he comes in, he's generally not played a Test, or in some cases even a game in so long. I would think of moving on from him, given Santner's late career bloom, but I can't begrudge a guy who has done absolutely nothing wrong, and so much right for NZ in Tests but has been treated pretty shabbily. But I also hear what you're saying in terms of now and the future, although as Bahnz says, there's no reason a guy who hasn't had a huge workload throughout his career couldn't play until his 40s if you wanted him to.

Also I just think Ajaz is a pretty special kiwi cricketer - admittedly in a narrow role. Amongst spinners with a minimum of 20 wickets in Asia, Ajaz has the 3rd best record of any NZer. Only Hedley Howarth and Stephen Boock have better records, and they played in a very different, and largely amateur, era. Vettori is the only other spinner to have managed a sub-30 average in Asia, and even then, we know how much Dan benefitted from rolling club-standard Bangers lineups over the years. I know we don't have a lot of sub-continent cricket coming up in the next 18 months, but anything we can do to keep Ajaz in the mix gets my vote.

 

[NZTailender]

Did anyone hear a crack of ominous lightning at the sheer hubris

NZ to be 6-80 before an engine room revival from santner and phillips

 

[RMBolton]

In all honesty, I wasn't surprised by this squad because I didn't expect this squad to be a NZ equivalent to the SA one currently playing in Zimbabwe. There were never going to be any experiments or gambles.

It's a double edged sword for the struggling players; if you can't even perform against Zimbabwe, you're done.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, given the dearth of test cricket we have this year, the incumbents were always going to be prioritised.

 

[NZTailender]

Good point, putting Nicholls is almost a smokescreen for picking Blundell. I have to admit I'm not actually that averse to Blundell over Hay now, if they believe he is the best option for Australia 26-27. But if he doesn't score runs v the West Indies at home, that has to be his last chance saloon. I know a lot of people will say he's already had enough rope and it's time to develop Hay, and I completely get that viewpoint

We've actually got more tests between now and the Aussie tour, so I feel like while this is a misstep hopefully after this series we'll get into a more serious look at the fringe or up and coming players. Considering county and the random mickey mouse stuff going on worldwide, this not being WTC canon and some injuries, it almost feels like a "who's left and has been playing in the last 5 minutes."

After Zimbabwe, we have 8 tests before the tour of Aus. But I feel if Mariu and hay aren't debuting in the 2nd WI Test or the one off vs Ireland, they're probably not debuting vs England or India, and definitely not in Aus.

Though that said, we have an oddly ok track record of batsmen either debuting vs Aus or trying a new position, and being not terrible compared to the more experienced players in the side. Vincent, Blundell, Phillips, etc.*



*probably only those 3 in living memory

 

[Bahnz]

Wasn't his debut but Hamish Marshall hit that hundred v Aus in 2005 (admittedly a home test).

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Craig Cumming