ok so the squad for the 1st Test has been announced and I'm ****ed off........
Fleming, Richardson, Vincent, Jones, Styris, McMillian, Cairns, Oram, Hart, Vettori, Tuffey, Butler, Wiseman.
13 players with 2 to be ommitted from the starting lineup. Jones is named as batting cover for Fleming so he is one probable, and I'm hoping the other is Cairns but it will probably be Wiseman, as NZ seldom take 2 spinners into a Test unless it is a real turner, and I can't see that being the case on domestic pitches at this time of year with so much wet weather.
I'm ****ed that Cairns has been selected because IMO he does not deserve to be named on current form. He has not played Test cricket for some time, his form in recent ODIs with bat or ball has been poor (apart from 1 innings of 80+), and his current domestic form shows him having scored 9 runs from 11 balls, and taken 4/103 at 4.9 RPO - hardly Test match form so far as I'm concerned.
IMO Cairns' inclusion in the playing XI will weaken the team so far as both batting or bowling is concerned because of his lack of form. IMO they would have done better to select Oram as the 'allrounder' and to have picked another specialist batsman or bowler, depending on what the pitch has been playing like. THey already have 4 seam options without Cairns so I am presuming they are looking at him to contribute with the bat, in which case Marshall or McIntosh could have been used, or Wilson as the form bowler.
I'm also disappointed that Jones got the batting cover ahead of either Marshall or McIntosh - although it is understandable that the selectors want consistency with Jones fulfilling this role on the last 2 tours. My gripe here is that Jones in an opening bat & his style limits his coverage options. The other alternative is to use him to replace Vincent as opener, and use Vincent to cover the top / middle order - but yet again this will be screwing around with Vincent's role in the team at a time when he is starting to get back on track!
I prefer Marshall & McIntosh as they have more options in coverage. Marshall gets my vote as he has current form v Pakistan & has a Test cap already. I'm not too concerned about his domestic form as it appears to me that he is a big game player.
I'd like to see McIntosh get a run in the squad (at least) very soon because his conversion rate in domestic cricket is 2nd to none - 24 ys old, 61 innings, 7no, 7x100s & 10x50s at an average of a touch under 41.