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*Official * Pakistan vs New Zealand 2023

ashley bach

International Captain
As clandestine as the selectors are though, surely to goodness Nichlolls won't make the cut, because there's just no place for him.
It's now at the stage where it's become an embarrassing joke to say the least.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah surely Jimmy the Neesh is just about done. Quietly hoping he doesn't make the squad for the world cup because it's hard to see him producing
anything to write home about in Indian conditions.
Sadly knowing how our selectors operate though, it's almost a certainty that he'll be there.
Yeah, he probably will be. Too late for the other names I mentioned to be picked, and to be fair he had a stellar 2019 World Cup (although buttoned off pretty badly from there). No matter I guess, given he isn't in the XI.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
How many do they pick for a World Cup squad...15? 16? I'll have a go

Conway Allen Young Mitchell Phillips Chapman Latham Blundell BracewellM Neesham Santner Sodhi Henry Boult Southee Ferguson. Nicholls if it's 16. Milne if it isn't Boult.
 

trundler

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You'd think Bracewell has the #7 spot locked down. That's realistically the only place Neesham can play at full strength and honestly, I'd take McConchie as back up given the conditions.

Similarly for Pakistan, it's bonkers that Imad Wasim has been excluded and it's probably too late for him to make it over Nawaz. Shame.
 

Moss

International Vice-Captain
The thing that will probably save Neesham's spot in the squad (if not the first XI) is NZ's reluctance to try out other sixth bowling options - Mitchell, Chapman, Phillips (when he plays). Even McConchie got just one over in the last game. If they bowled more often NZ would probably reach the conclusion that their output would be similar if not better to Neesham's (at least when it comes to econ. rate); without consistent runs to fall back on Neesham would be redundant.

On Nicholls - he got 7 games across series in Pakistan and India, had a top score of 42. If he does make the squad, will be quite interesting to see who misses out as a result.
 
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Moss

International Vice-Captain
Similarly for Pakistan, it's bonkers that Imad Wasim has been excluded and it's probably too late for him to make it over Nawaz. Shame.
Anyone else who didn’t play in this series likely to make the World Cup squad? Haris Sohail for Shan Masood probably (not exactly like for like I know)?
 

vandem

International 12th Man
The thing that will probably save Neesham's spot in the squad (if not the first XI) is NZ's reluctance to try out other sixth bowling options - Mitchell, Chapman, Phillips (when he plays). Even McConchie got just one over in the last game. If they bowled more often NZ would probably reach the conclusion that their output would be similar if not better to Neesham's (at least when it comes to econ. rate); without consistent runs to fall back on Neesham would be redundant....
Mitchell's bowling might be the key to Neesham's selection.

If the pitch looks like a turner, Stead might want Sodhi in the starting XI alongside Santner and Bracewell, so only 2 specialist quicks in the XI. Then we might want some part-time death overs from a seamer who can bowl bouncers / wide yorkers. Can Mitchell do this? Perhaps, but would have been good for him to get some practice in Pak. Can Neesham do this? Yes, so perhaps he gets the 15th spot in the squad (instead of a 2nd spare quick) and could occasionally get picked in the XI ahead of a specialist batter (Allen benched with Young promoted to open / Chapman).
 

trundler

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Anyone else who didn’t play in this series likely to make the World Cup squad? Haris Sohail for Shan Masood probably (not exactly like for like I know)?
Ihsanullah probably won't make it so they may go back to Hasan Ali. If not, Faheem Ashraf could be there too.
 
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Shady Slim

International Coach
As clandestine as the selectors are though, surely to goodness Nichlolls won't make the cut, because there's just no place for him.
It's now at the stage where it's become an embarrassing joke to say the least.
i’ve been saying nicholls sucks for the better part of the past decade and finally i can pretend that i was Right All Along™️
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Six weeks! Any tips? I’m going for an embarrassing two weeks in about a month.
Yeah man, I'm about 3 weeks in. Shoot me a private message or let me know if you're booked into places, what you're keen on doing, and I'll give you the full rundown. I've been in Legian, Lovina, Canggu and Lombok so far, currently just got to Uluwatu, then got the final two weeks in Ubud.
 

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Neesham miiiiight sneak into my WC squad as the final member, though I haven't written it out to be sure. If he does it's due to the paucity of other options to bat 7 and the lack of attempts to find someone better, though.

Regarding his career, I think his bowling has kinda reached its ceiling - he started off woefully inaccurate with an action where his head fell away a lot and he sprayed the ball around. With a few changes he became a little less inaccurate, though still below average. Has decent variations and bowled well in the 2019 WC where the pitches responded well to pace-off (even if inaccurate). So, a part-timer.

His batting over his career trajectory disappoints me a lot more (talking white-ball). The only good thing I'll say about it is that he never shows a reluctance to swing for the fence if the situation demands it. However, in his role as hitter he's one-dimensional with one go-to shot to cow/long-on that's easily countered by opposition bowlers. And when he's required to play a longer innings (ODIs in particular) he rarely does it - often goes for the huge swipe even when it's not a good option and gets out. Occasionally against mediocre bowling he can just do that for the whole innings and it works, like that home series against Sri Lanka a few years ago. But the vast majority of the time against better bowlers it doesn't, hence the ODI batting average of 28. IMO he has/had the talent to be an ODI 6 - someone who can biff if arriving at the crease in the 43rd over, or can play a long innings if he arrives in the 13th - but his shot selection and approach lets him down imo.
 
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