T20 World Cup 2021
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Nervous to post this here, as it goes between sport and politics, but de Kock pulls out of game rather than be forced to take a knee.
Mandatory protests are a bit shit, but so is letting your team down and shitty systemic racism. I don't know any more, 2021 is just so farked up.
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@bovidae I wouldn't have been trusting Neesham to bowl four overs (presumably with Mitch Jr and Phillips as back-ups).
Not sure if there is anything more worthless in cricket than T20 player rankings, but apparently Timmy is our highest ranked bowler (10th in the world). Figure that out...
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@rapido said in T20 World Cup 2021:
NZ picked a weird squad IMO, and now from that squad even a weird 11. Punching below their weight.
I think a lot of it is explained by it being a relatively meaningless tournament for NZ but with large match payments and bonuses. If senior players can be selected with a straight face and are willing to go through the MIQ it's hard to deny them a biennial windfall.
Also hard to pick on any sort of form when there have been bugger all cricket due to COVID and the Pakistan pull out CDG is probably the only NZ eligible player not selected in the squad who played franchise cricket over the winter.
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@donsteppa said in T20 World Cup 2021:
On a Stuff poll a few days ago I was one of the pessimists who voted that we wouldn't make it out of the group stages. From now on every game is a must win game it seems (unless India or Pakistan lose to Afghanistan).
We obviously need to win the crap-shoot vs India, which we won't be favourites for, but winning the toss and fielding seems to be a significant advantage - especially in late games - so win the toss in that and maybe we become slight favourites.
Then we need to be wary of the Afghans - probably more dangerous than I think. Should have enough to put away the Scots and Namibs.
Lose vs India and we are packing our bags.
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@rotated said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@rapido said in T20 World Cup 2021:
NZ picked a weird squad IMO, and now from that squad even a weird 11. Punching below their weight.
I think a lot of it is explained by it being a relatively meaningless tournament for NZ but with large match payments and bonuses. If senior players can be selected with a straight face and are willing to go through the MIQ it's hard to deny them a biennial windfall.
Also hard to pick on any sort of form when there have been bugger all cricket due to COVID and the Pakistan pull out CDG is probably the only NZ eligible player not selected in the squad who played franchise cricket over the winter.
Its the Munro, F Allen, Milne ommissions I found weird.
Both Munro and Allen not selected and then experimienting at the last minute with D Mitchell as opener, beyond bizarre.
Milne is better than both Jameson and Southee.
Munro is as much about central contracts v franshise fee-lancers policy than cricket. I mean I'm not saying he's an AB de Villiers hill worth dieing on from a selectorial policy POV. If they could only fit in only one of Allen or Munro in squad then I wouldn't be bothered if Munro was left out. If they were going for a totally different tactic with a more conservative top 3 with Kane and Conway to bat around Guptill, I'd understand. Disagree, but understand. But jeezus christ, they've thrown in Mitchell, when has he ever done this role before? They've got 2 attacking openers better than Mitchell that they ommitted, they've also got the more orthodox Conway better suited to build a plan around than Mitchell. What on earth are they even doing?
I'm wondering if the selectors back home and the team/captain in UAE are on different wavelengths?
I think they should strive for top standards in all forms. Success and professionalism breeds success, this whiffs a bit of the John Buchanan days but in reverse.
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@chris-b said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@donsteppa said in T20 World Cup 2021:
On a Stuff poll a few days ago I was one of the pessimists who voted that we wouldn't make it out of the group stages. From now on every game is a must win game it seems (unless India or Pakistan lose to Afghanistan).
We obviously need to win the crap-shoot vs India, which we won't be favourites for, but winning the toss and fielding seems to be a significant advantage - especially in late games - so win the toss in that and maybe we become slight favourites.
Then we need to be wary of the Afghans - probably more dangerous than I think. Should have enough to put away the Scots and Namibs.
Lose vs India and we are packing our bags.
I'm not backing this team to beat the Afghans.
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@rapido I assumed they were going to use Seifert to open.
I think he might have been injured in the warm up games and Mitch Jr. opened with some success.
But, it does start to look a bit muddled - especially with Lockie now out of the equation.
Stead is going to have to hit on the right formula pdq.
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@chris-b said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@rapido I assumed they were going to use Seifert to open.
I think he might have been injured in the warm up games and Mitch Jr. opened with some success.
But, it does start to look a bit muddled - especially with Lockie now out of the equation.
Stead is going to have to hit on the right formula pdq.
But Seiffert is terrible v pace. So even that would have been a bad idea. Oppositions could just hold back their spinners until power play is finished.
Seiffert is the weakest link in the team TBH.The only way leaving out the two most attacking openers we have would have made sense would be if they were going with a different approach, e.g. Conway.
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@rapido said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@chris-b said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@rapido I assumed they were going to use Seifert to open.
I think he might have been injured in the warm up games and Mitch Jr. opened with some success.
But, it does start to look a bit muddled - especially with Lockie now out of the equation.
Stead is going to have to hit on the right formula pdq.
But Seiffert is terrible v pace. So even that would have been a bad idea. Oppositions could just hold back their spinners until power play is finished.
Seiffert is the weakest link in the team TBH.The only way leaving out the two most attacking openers we have would have made sense would be if they were going with a different approach, e.g. Conway.
Is Seifert really that bad? I haven't looked up any stats, but he looked quite brilliant at times in the CPL. Certainly a better shot than Mitchell surely.
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@delicatessen said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@rapido said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@chris-b said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@rapido I assumed they were going to use Seifert to open.
I think he might have been injured in the warm up games and Mitch Jr. opened with some success.
But, it does start to look a bit muddled - especially with Lockie now out of the equation.
Stead is going to have to hit on the right formula pdq.
But Seiffert is terrible v pace. So even that would have been a bad idea. Oppositions could just hold back their spinners until power play is finished.
Seiffert is the weakest link in the team TBH.The only way leaving out the two most attacking openers we have would have made sense would be if they were going with a different approach, e.g. Conway.
Is Seifert really that bad? I haven't looked up any stats, but he looked quite brilliant at times in the CPL. Certainly a better shot than Mitchell surely.
Seifert wasn't opening the CPL. Either he, or his teams, have figured out that that is not a good match for him. Which is a good thing. TBH a guy who specialises as a 5 or 6 in T20 are pretty gold, as almost everyone talented wants to open or bat top 3 for their franchises. If he could perfect that role at franchise level and then bring that to the NZ team then he could transform from a weak link to a really valuable cog.
Sometimes at international level you get the humurous sitation of teams trying to shoe horn 5 or 6 franchise openers into an international top 5 . Like Australia with Finch, Warner, Wade, M Marsh, Stoinis. But now that Stoinis has been getting used a s a finisher by his franchise they are infinitely stronger and better balanced.
My opinion on Seiffert v pace. I don't watch any foreign franchise T20 crickewt, so don't take my opinions as that of some self appointed guru. I was listening to the cricviz preview podcasts before the tournament. Cricviz are the balltracking company that provide the ball-by-ball data to the media and to analysts. They revealed that Seiffert has a career record v pace of a strike rate of about 100, which is bad, especially if part of that time was as a speciaist power opener. His record v spin is adequate.
This re-affirms my impressions that when watching Seiffert play for NZ at T20 level he has often struggled to score in the power play against pace bowling. I had put that down as him struggling at the next level up to play 140k+ quality pace bowling, and probably he would get better with more exposure/experience. But, this stat also transcends to franchise level, that indictates more an inherrent weakness v pace.
Anyway, I don't think Seiffert is total spud. Being the weak link is not necesarily as bad as it sounds if the 11 is quite strong. But in my ideal 11, I wouldn't have him in it, I would compromise by having Conway keep. You have to make a compromise somewhere.
My ideal pre-tournament 11 would have been.
Guptill
Finn/Allen
Conway
Phillips
Williamson (as the insurance)
Neesham
Santner
Milne
Sodhi
Boult
FergussonSo, a bowling heavy team. 5 proper bowlers. Compromise of Santner batting too high and Conway as part time keeper. Kane as the safety blanket allowing the top 4 to gun it without fear of exposing Santner too soon.
Milne and Boult to open, with Santner bowling some power play overs.
Then Santner and Sodhi bowling spin after power play along with Ferguson bowling the 'hard length' jargon through middle overs I'm starting to hear about now.
Boult and Milne to bowl death.
Neesham back up , or maybe Phillips to sneak in an over if want off spin match up to a left hander (but probably not worth it) bowling. -
But my real world 11. from the crappish squad, and the reality of Lockie out of tournament.
Guptill
Conway
Williamson
Phillips
Seiffert
Neesham
Santner
Astle
Sodhi
Milne
BoultGoing more spin heavy. 3 spinners. Both Astle and Sodhi playing. Have the flexibility as leg break and googly bowlers to be good match ups for both left and right handers. (we have no proper off spinner in the squad, not a criticism, we don't have one good enough)
Only 2 specialist pace bowlers. Neesham to get a bit more work of 1 or 2 overs per match, likely.Batting is weak. Gotta just hope the 150s which would be this teams ceiling will be good enough as the pitches wear. Hope we don't play much at pip-squeak boundaries Sharjah.
Probably 4th in our pool, maybe 3rd.
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@rapido said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@delicatessen said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@rapido said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@chris-b said in T20 World Cup 2021:
@rapido I assumed they were going to use Seifert to open.
I think he might have been injured in the warm up games and Mitch Jr. opened with some success.
But, it does start to look a bit muddled - especially with Lockie now out of the equation.
Stead is going to have to hit on the right formula pdq.
But Seiffert is terrible v pace. So even that would have been a bad idea. Oppositions could just hold back their spinners until power play is finished.
Seiffert is the weakest link in the team TBH.The only way leaving out the two most attacking openers we have would have made sense would be if they were going with a different approach, e.g. Conway.
Is Seifert really that bad? I haven't looked up any stats, but he looked quite brilliant at times in the CPL. Certainly a better shot than Mitchell surely.
Seifert wasn't opening the CPL. Either he, or his teams, have figured out that that is not a good match for him. Which is a good thing. TBH a guy who specialises as a 5 or 6 in T20 are pretty gold, as almost everyone talented wants to open or bat top 3 for their franchises. If he could perfect that role at franchise level and then bring that to the NZ team then he could transform from a weak link to a really valuable cog.
Sometimes at international level you get the humurous sitation of teams trying to shoe horn 5 or 6 franchise openers into an international top 5 . Like Australia with Finch, Warner, Wade, M Marsh, Stoinis. But now that Stoinis has been getting used a s a finisher by his franchise they are infinitely stronger and better balanced.
My opinion on Seiffert v pace. I don't watch any foreign franchise T20 crickewt, so don't take my opinions as that of some self appointed guru. I was listening to the cricviz preview podcasts before the tournament. Cricviz are the balltracking company that provide the ball-by-ball data to the media and to analysts. They revealed that Seiffert has a career record v pace of a strike rate of about 100, which is bad, especially if part of that time was as a speciaist power opener. His record v spin is adequate.
This re-affirms my impressions that when watching Seiffert play for NZ at T20 level he has often struggled to score in the power play against pace bowling. I had put that down as him struggling at the next level up to play 140k+ quality pace bowling, and probably he would get better with more exposure/experience. But, this stat also transcends to franchise level, that indictates more an inherrent weakness v pace.
Anyway, I don't think Seiffert is total spud. Being the weak link is not necesarily as bad as it sounds if the 11 is quite strong. But in my ideal 11, I wouldn't have him in it, I would compromise by having Conway keep. You have to make a compromise somewhere.
My ideal pre-tournament 11 would have been.
Guptill
Finn/Allen
Conway
Phillips
Williamson (as the insurance)
Neesham
Santner
Milne
Sodhi
Boult
FergussonSo, a bowling heavy team. 5 proper bowlers. Compromise of Santner batting too high and Conway as part time keeper. Kane as the safety blanket allowing the top 4 to gun it without fear of exposing Santner too soon.
Milne and Boult to open, with Santner bowling some power play overs.
Then Santner and Sodhi bowling spin after power play along with Ferguson bowling the 'hard length' jargon through middle overs I'm starting to hear about now.
Boult and Milne to bowl death.
Neesham back up , or maybe Phillips to sneak in an over if want off spin match up to a left hander (but probably not worth it) bowling.Does he have any history of doing this ?
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Yes, he's kept for Wellington in T20s quite often.
He's actually kept for NZ as well, already. And has an international stumping. But he is a part timer, and that is a compromise in a spin-heavy tournament.
However, he did have an injury in England this winter.
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Should say.
There isn't actually anything wrong with Seifert's record as an opener, statistically. From the statsguru level, rather than the cricviz ball-by-ball level as mentioned on the podcast i heard (cricviz's stats aren't publically available).
(Probably that last series v Australia earlier this year that is prominent in my memory of him looking out of his depth v quality or high pace)
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Isn't Phillips a specialist keeper? Not a decent one? Seifert was a pretty untidy one when he first arrived on the scene.
Your team looks decent - apart from Astle. I think I'd go for Timmy unless conditions absolutely favour spin (and surprisingly, it seems they haven't).
I wonder whether Jamieson has developed any sort of hoodoo over Kohli during IPL. That would be handy!
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@chris-b said in T20 World Cup 2021:
Isn't Phillips a specialist keeper? Not a decent one? Seifert was a pretty untidy one when he first arrived on the scene.
Your team looks decent - apart from Astle. I think I'd go for Timmy unless conditions absolutely favour spin (and surprisingly, it seems they haven't).
I wonder whether Jamieson has developed any sort of hoodoo over Kohli during IPL. That would be handy!
Phillips was, but gave it up (very young). Can't remember if if was knees or back.
But seeing him dislocate his own knees while batting, I think it might be knees. It also makes me assume even keeping for 20 overs is out of the picture.
