At tea today, the NZ squad of 15 is named. However it's much more fun to name our own teams before they name theirs.
The team has to be made up of players from the 30 man squad:
Brent Arnel, Hamish Bennett, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Ian Butler, Grant Elliott, Daniel Flynn, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, James Franklin, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Andy McKay, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Shanan Stewart, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock, Reece Young.
Unfortunately this means no Redmond, Vincent, Bates, Aldridge or Mason.
Here's my team:
B McCullum
Ryder
Taylor
Guptil
Styris
Vettori
N McCullum
McGlashan
Mills
Southee
Butler
Tuffey
Franklin
Oram
Flynn
What's your 15?
Not a bad line up. My line up would be the same except for Oram. Instead I would have Mckay just to spice things up a little
ReplyDeleteI can see the benefit of McKay - he is much more likely to rip through the minnows, and guarantee us a good NRR in case of ties.
ReplyDeleteLargely agree but wiping a tear over the omission of Milne, Williamson, Young... too bad also that the How experiment failed.
ReplyDeleteThink I also like Arnel. But yeah the question was 15, not 20.
I was struggling with the choice of Williamson, How and Flynn. I just think that Flynn's current form is irresistible.
ReplyDeleteI also was thinking about Arnel instead of Tuffey, but Tuffey has proven that he can bowl in India, and he can bat.
That squad looks accurate to me. As you say it is the final batting spot which needs to be filled. Long-term I would go for Williamson but not sure if he is ready yet - but he appears to be one of the few guys who can cash in when he gets set. Trouble is he can't bat 5 or 6 and it would be a gamble to have him at 3.
ReplyDeleteFlynn has found some form but he lost it for a long time and looks prone to getting out early. How seems to be found out by decent pace bowlers at international level.
Bowling looks about as good as it can be, although more a set who can do a solid job rather than run through a side - and also enable some runs down to number 11 which is usually required.
Oram hasn't done much since he came back from injury so that is a bit of a fingers crossed selection - but I'll take your top 14 and have How instead of Flynn - because that is what I think the selectors will do.
Most of the guys on TV had Bennett instead of Butler, but I couldn't go past Butler personally. I would consider Bennett instead of Oram however.
ReplyDeleteOk... here's mine (what I'd like to see - not who I expect will be picked)... not forgetting where we're playing. Spin will be important (and the Pig too, shame JR can't bowl).
ReplyDelete*are backup players
Openers: B McCullum (wk), Guptill
3/4/5: Taylor, Styris, Ryder, *Flynn
AR's 6/7/8: Franklin, Vettori, N McCullum, *Woodcock, *McGlashan (wk)
Blrs 9/10/11: Southee, Mills, Tuffey, *Bennett
I believe that Ryder has been cleared to bowl. He'll be starting in the nets in the next couple of days. I'm not sure that this is a good thing, I'd prefer that we normally had him as a batsman, than have him occasionally as an all rounder.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying he'd be picked as a bowler... I'd like to see him bat five with Guppiano opening. Though on those pitches, he could be useful for a few overs here and there... as with the Pig.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts on the squad here
ReplyDeleteif i was a selector i would throw money, cars and a key to a big city to get lou vincent. nothing beats a player with big match experience. but sadly we won't and he probably wouldn't take it. i'd take mckay over tuffey as he will give that lil bit of pace that minnows will struggle against. And tuffey is past his use-by date. and flynn might be looking good at first class level on easy paced provincial wickets but doesn't has have ability to take it to next level. So williamson gets my vote. He can bowl, field well and can score runs on sub-continent.
ReplyDeletethe biggest thing with selecting this team is choosing players who have big match ability and suit the sub-continent conditions. Australia's selectors have gone for a big pace attack which is really quite unnecessary as the pace those players will bring turns into an easier speed on sub-continent pitches. Only really accurate fast bowlers do well over there. And i'd hardly put tait, lee and johnson in that category.
ReplyDeleteTo Johnson's credit, he tends to bowl quite full, and take the pitch out of the reckoning. He also tends to bowl wide and eratic, which tends to take good economy rates out of the reckoning.
ReplyDeleteHave to have Nicol in the side, he is in good knick. 3 spinners - Nicol, Vettori, McCullum.
ReplyDeleteB McCullum
Guptill
Taylor
Ryder
Styris
Vettori
N McCullum
McGlashan
Mills
Southee
Butler
Tuffey
Franklin
Oram
Nicol
Well none of us got it right. McGlashan was left out (which makes me scratch my head) Butler, Tuffey, Flynn, Nicol, Elliot got left out also.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Bennett bowl I can see why they went for him. I don't mind the selection of Woodcock either, although he doesn't seem to have his handle on one day cricket like he does on t20 and 1st class.
But Jamie How to keep wickets? no no no no no.
Selectors got it wrong. We need a specialist backup Keeper especially in India + McGlashanis a genuine finisher..
ReplyDeleteOk coz I'm awesome I'll do mine after the team has been named LOL
ReplyDeleteBaz
Guppy
Nicol
Rosco
Ryder
Pig
Dan the Man
Nate
Mills
TIMMY
Bennett
Franko
Butler
Woodcock
TUFFSTER
DUN DUN DUN
You didn't go for a back up keeper Mel Is that because you think Baz is invincible, or would you have Guppy or Taylor do it?
ReplyDeleteYea I was thinking a bit of both :P Haha Um I was thinking Ryder back up or even Styris
ReplyDelete