Filling McCullums' Boots in ODIs

gollum

We'll actually probably end up more balanced as we will drop Ronchi & pick a genuine keeper / batsman to open (Latham / Watling) and a slogger who bowls a bit low down (Munro, Neesham)

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="557378" data-time="1454925919">
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I actually think in terms of pure batting the guy coming in will be better. Baz has played some fantastic inning & been incredible to watch, but he is in effect a 30 off 20 pinch hitter. Afridi, Russell or Flintoff without the bowling.
 
Latham already looks like he can be more of a 70 off 80 & maybe score 100's sort of player which I think is better in the current game. 
 
NZ have tended to lose games recently not because we didn't get off to a flyer, but because one of our top order didn't bat thru, we've got a LOT of fire power right down, but are very dependant on Guppy or Kane (or to a lesser degree Taylor) going big.
 
Really if we were looking for a like-for-like Baz replacement we'd pick Munro. 
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Lance Klusener could fit that bill too. As I think I mentioned on his retirement thread BMacs aura far exceeded his tangible results, somewhat like Beefy Botham if that makes sense.
 
Our "firepower" down the order is still a bit hit or miss for my liking. Sure they did the biz against Pakistan but last nights low order hitting was diabolical. The BCs won which is great but everybody knows the team should have scored at least 50 more runs.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="557391" data-time="1454929924">
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We'll actually probably end up more balanced as we will drop Ronchi & pick a genuine keeper / batsman to open (Latham / Watling) and a slogger who bowls a bit low down (Munro, Neesham) 
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I agree but I just don't think Munro and Neesham are quite comparable.
 
Having Latham at keeper and opener makes perfect sense. We aren't too strong with the openers and it means our lower order can be more balanced. If we pick Neesham, we can pick 3 quicks, Santner, Anderson and Neesham which gives us plenty of options. Then we can also just pick someone like Munro if we don't need the bowling so much. Other options to open would be guys like George Worker and he isn't a slogger anyway.

taniwharugby

you'd have to think McCullums boots that need filling are more to do with the team, decisions and attitude he brings to the team rather than the average 30 runs off a little over 5 overs in a 1-Dayer.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="557563" data-time="1454991939">
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I agree but I just don't think Munro and Neesham are quite comparable.
 
Having Latham at keeper and opener makes perfect sense. We aren't too strong with the openers and it means our lower order can be more balanced. If we pick Neesham, we can pick 3 quicks, Santner, Anderson and Neesham which gives us plenty of options. Then we can also just pick someone like Munro if we don't need the bowling so much. Other options to open would be guys like George Worker and he isn't a slogger anyway.
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I like that bowling line up and it offers a nice 6,7,8 combo of CA, JN and MS all of whom have real talent. Given our lower order aren't mugs that to me looks a pretty solid middle-lower order.
 
Only question I have is what is Lathams keeping like ?

Virgil

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="557581" data-time="1454998597">
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you'd have to think McCullums boots that need filling are more to do with the team, decisions and attitude he brings to the team rather than the average 30 runs off a little over 5 overs in a 1-Dayer.
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That's true and I think McCullum will be a big loss in that regard. I think we are lucky that Williamson is somewhat experienced as a captain now.

Gunner

Neesham. All very well and good - if we can get him on the park. 
Love the idea of Herb, him and Satnav at 6,7,8 though. 
But the chances of that happening on a regular basis are slim to fuck all, due to the fact at least one of them seems to be injured at any given time. 
Just throwing ideas around as a plan b, so doesn't mean I'd necessarily go for this, but any love out there to go like for like and pick a guy like Munro to open? Then have Latham/Watling at 7?

gollum

Cricinfo have done their usually in depth drill down into Baz
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-australia-2015-16/content/story/970491.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-australia-2015-16/content/story/970491.html</a>

Immenso Rapido

There's no way Latham keeps and opens. There's no way any sane thinking selection panel wants to muddy the role of their young test opener with ODI keeping distractions. 
He's already got a a full time job, and he needs to do a lot of work to get better at it. 
Giving him an ODI batting spot is another matter, could help polish some parts of his game. 
I would go: Watling at 5 for ODIs, Elliott shuffles on about now anyway (gets a bit messy if Eliott keeps aceing it) with hitters at 6 and 7 . 
I wouldn't want the same keeper in all 3 formats. I wouldn't want to mess with Watling's test game too much. Someone new keeps for T20s (de Boorder probably as filler for a few years). Edit. I'm talking post T20 world cup. For this tournament we are either stuck with Ronchi or draft in Watling. I wouldn't got too worked up about this one with it being in Asia plus Baz's poorly timed retirement.

TeWaio

An <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/37737.html?class=2;template=results;type=batting'>ODI average of 30.41</a> is clearly underwhelming in today's age: among the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=batting_average;orderbyad=reverse;qualmin1=5000;qualval1=runs;spanmin1=01+jan+2000;spanval1=span;template=results;type=batting'>42 batsmen</a> who have scored at least 5000 ODI runs since 2000, only Shahid Afridi has a lower average. 
that is a damning stat

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TeWaio" data-cid="557611" data-time="1455015563">
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An <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/37737.html?class=2;template=results;type=batting'>ODI average of 30.41</a> is clearly underwhelming in today's age: among the <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=batting_average;orderbyad=reverse;qualmin1=5000;qualval1=runs;spanmin1=01+jan+2000;spanval1=span;template=results;type=batting'>42 batsmen</a> who have scored at least 5000 ODI runs since 2000, only Shahid Afridi has a lower average. 
that is a damning stat
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Worse when you recall Afridi also has 400 ODI wickets....

ACT Crusader

Who cares about stats, I know I don't. Sure I would've loved for him to stay down in our middle order where he could unleash, but because of a number of factors he played up the order. 
But for me Baz brought confidence, even a bit of swag to NZ cricket that IMO was much needed to get us through a transition period. To me that means more than any batting average or other stats. I thought he handled himself with great professionalism but took up any challenge with confidence and an attacking attitude. I think he is a big part of why the future looks tremendously bright for NZ cricket.

canefan

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="557618" data-time="1455017148">
Who cares about stats, I know I don't. Sure I would've loved for him to stay down in our middle order where he could unleash, but because of a number of factors he played up the order. 
But for me Baz brought confidence, even a bit of swag to NZ cricket that IMO was much needed to get us through a transition period. To me that means more than any batting average or other stats. I thought he handled himself with great professionalism but took up any challenge with confidence and an attacking attitude. I think he is a big part of why the future looks tremendously bright for NZ cricket.</blockquote>
I don't think anyone can argue that the Hesson McCullum partnership hasnt been a roaring success

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="557622" data-time="1455020630">
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I don't think anyone can argue that the Hesson McCullum partnership has been a roaring success
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You mean "hasn't" right?
 
Tho' I'd argue its maybe more that the Boult-Kane-Taylor partnership has been the key to that success. Or even Edgar who was the guy who pushed through the best change in that period - select good players & then not drop them 2 games later. Consistency of selection has been a far bigger driver of our success than anything else.

Siam

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="557623" data-time="1455021768">
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You mean "hasn't" right?
 
Tho' I'd argue its maybe more that the Boult-Kane-Taylor partnership has been the key to that success. Or even Edgar who was the guy who pushed through the best change in that period - select good players & then not drop them 2 games later. Consistency of selection has been a far bigger driver of our success than anything else.
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You can't stand any praise of McCullum or Hesson can you?
 
So we didn't get much out of Hesson and Baz, because Edgar's selection strategies are BY FAR the biggest driver of our success?
 
piffle
 
Credit where it's due, the funny little fella pulling the strings and Baz's "back yourself" attitude has been the biggest differentiator of this team in my 40 years of watching them

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="557625" data-time="1455024749">
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You can't stand any praise of McCullum or Hesson can you?
 
So we didn't get much out of Hesson and Baz, because Edgar's selection strategies are BY FAR the biggest driver of our success?
 
piffle
 
Credit where it's due, the funny little fella pulling the strings and Baz's "back yourself" attitude has been the biggest differentiator of this team in my 40 years of watching them
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Read the quote dumass. Canefan wrote "I don't think anyone can argue that the Hesson McCullum partnership has been a roaring success". IE its been shit. I was saying he was wrong in his phrasing. IE its HAS been a huge success.
 
He then edited it to correct it.
 
Ease up on the knee jerking there. I was pointing out an incorrect critism of Baz.

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="557625" data-time="1455024749">
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Credit where it's due, the funny little fella pulling the strings and Baz's "back yourself" attitude has been the biggest differentiator of this team in my 40 years of watching them
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Speaking about limited overs only the early 00s Black Caps teams (pre Bond even) performed just as well in the limited over forms of the game with significantly less talent (no bowlers at level of Southee and Boult, no batsmen at the level of Taylor or Williamson and according to our polls Guptill either apparently).
 
Very tough to argue that Crowe's innovations with the 1992 team were less noticeable than whatever McCullum has done.
 
I give McCullum a lot of credit for his approach and attitude - but I completely disagree that we haven't had swagger and confidence similar to this previously. We had swag in the 80s, we developed some under Rixon/Trist and there was certainly were at our peak under Braces leading up to the 2007 CWC. Biggest criticism would be the complete lack of captain's knocks and often tone deafnesses to the situation. The ultra aggressive nature helped us so often (usually when our backs were against the wall or we were front running) but at times the approach almost seemed insecure - specifically the CWC Final (and the dog's breakfast of a run chase in the earlier game vs Australia). Baz's three ball effort screamed "if I don't score a 40 ball hundred we aren't going to win this thing" - how much confidence and swagger does that really create for the team going forward?
 
Baz was a mixed bag as a pure batsman and skipper, and for me as several have alluded earlier he was at his most valuable for us with the gloves and anchoring our lower order. He was truly phenomenal at that role and suited his temperament and skills perfectly. For all my criticism of his tone deafness recently opening - in the past when batting 6-8 he had one of the greatest senses of when to nerdle and when to hit out (and the ability to do both) - seriously next level under Michael Bevan. Best we've had for sure, he was there for many of our greatest chases.

Siam

My dumbass read this quote, about selection. I thought it a bit well... wrong:
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="557623" data-time="1455021768">
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Or even Edgar who was the guy who pushed through the best change in that period - select good players & then not drop them 2 games later. Consistency of selection has been a far bigger driver of our success than anything else.
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gollum

I think Baz's leadership has been excellent. His captaincy as Rotated notes is very one pace, Crowe & Fleming were more astute captains for mine, but he has been an excellent leader. Players are inspirede by him & want to follow him. there's a touch of Richie or Fitzy there in that regard.
 
But the core reasons for the last 2 years has been 2 of our top 5 ever batsmen (across all formats, what Ross lacks in tests re top 5 he makes up in ODI's & T20), one of our top 5 ever bowlers & another right up there, & the tail end of our greatest ever spinner. Swap out Kane & Ross for Styris & McMillian & that team is a mile of. Or slot Boult into Fleming's team & that side is pushing everyone. Or swap out Rutherford for Kane & Crowes team is outstanding.
 
And the selection. I think folks have very short memories re the selectorial farce that was NZ cricket, guys dropped & picked over & over, players moved around all over the place. We probably had more openers in the few years prior to Edgar than we have had batsman in the Edgar years. Even the failures (Rutherford) were given a really good chance.
 
Good leadership & great environment are very important, but talent & selection are far more vital.
 
Aussie under Bucannan had a coach who was openly ignored & who's "culture" was derided by his top players, while the captain (Ponting) was awful. Players openly loathed each other. Yet the quality of the players & the selection were amazing. So were the results.
 
Baz has been a great leader, really inspirational. Our best ever T20 player, our best ever ODI keeper. And he's led a genuinely top drawer team.
 
But just as the people who disliked him tried to pretend he's stabbed Taylor & got shot down for bullshit, people like Ian Smith who seem to think his load cures mouth cancer need to take a step back too.

The Silver Fern

Filling McCullums&#39; Boots in ODIs

Filling McCullums' Boots in ODIs