The captaincy debacle - ascension, demotion and absence

New Zealand won a test in Sri Lanka less than fortnight ago. Victory after a 14 year hiatus should stick in the mind and help a despondent New Zealand cricketing public forget Hobart - it won't.  The captain was at the forefront with the blade and his seamers continued to hunt as a pack - and succeeded. Regardless of the media source, I've seen no coverage this week - instead the headlines have had no positive spin – on the contrary. That a comprehensive victory is pushed to the background so quickly highlights the ineptitude of cricket administration in this country - a game that is struggling for a public profile cannot afford to bypass an opportunity to put it in the spotlight for the right reasons.

Sri Lanka – Take Two

Less than a month after an early exit from the ICC World T20, New Zealand will return to Sri Lanka in search of better results. With Mike Hesson settling into his new role, will his side continue the progress they started in India or will the heartbreak of defeat linger? 

With domestic cricket not yet underway, and the recent A series providing no stand-out performances, the familiarity of the two touring squads was inevitable –emerging Canterbury leg spinner Todd Astle is the one new face. Twelve of the fifteen strong limited overs squad played in the World T20, while there are only two changes in the test squad from the recent tour to India.

(Super) Over and out

Southee says it all...(Courtesy of stuff.co.nz)

For many, the final memory of New Zealand at the World T20 will be the mercurial Chris Gayle effortlessly hoisting a Tim Southee no-ball over the rope. One delivery summed up New Zealand’s tournament efforts – so close, yet in actuality a long way from success. The sight of shoulders drooping atop 11 black shirts matched the reactions of thousands of fans at home – no matter the frequency, the inevitability of another loss is no easier to swallow.    

Has the New Zealand side failed to live up to expectations? Unquestionably, but does that say more about the inflated views we have of our national side than the shortcomings in their performance? Ranked sixth in the T20 ICC rankings when leaving the Caribbean, New Zealand ended the tournament having slipped to eighth – on this occasion the numbers don’t lie. One win in five is a poor return – victory against a hapless Bangladesh will satisfy no-one.

A tour to India and the World T20 – a Kiwi view

Pallekele International Stadium (courtesy of Getty Images)

For a New Zealand cricket fan, recent history has not been kind. The national team’s dismantling in the West Indies rubbed salt into an already festering wound, and reminded many of the efforts of their efforts prior to Stephen Fleming’s reign at the helm.

A one win – eight loss record across all three formats in Florida and the Caribbean should never be acceptable – most leading cricketing nations would be looking to run a scythe through their line-up but those in the second tier, such as New Zealand, do not have that luxury. That we are in the middle of the off-season means there are even fewer options to call on to step up at international level.

West Indies tour review 2012 (3)

Part 3: Issues, opportunities and an Olympic pause


Issues and opportunity encapsulate all that is New Zealand cricket and its cricketers - the problem is that the opportunities seem to morph into issues. Throughout the tour old mistakes were repeated ad nauseum whilst new ones were created. That the most engrossing part of a long tour was an Olympic final says it all…

West Indies tour review 2012 (2)

Part 2: There’s no “I” in team. Or is there?


In Part 1 I took a look back at the early happenings on tour – a second trip to Florida, Kane Williamson stepping into the captaincy role and the start of a spate of injuries that saw 10 players miss at least one match.

In the second of the three part series I consider the individuals who both shone and slumped – they all had an impact, but was it a positive one?


Is the potential tag becoming a noose?
If you’ve read previous pieces I’ve written, you’ll have read that tagline many times – it’s something that seems to afflict many of New Zealand’s naturally talented cricketers. I am an unashamed supporter of Kane Williamson but it’s time he takes his game forward – for mine it needs to become a “sooner rather than later” proposition. At 22, Williamson is still a young man. He’s only played 14 tests in his third international season but when you start your career with a debut hundred against India on the subcontinent and then blunt the South African attack two years later, it’s hard as a fan to accept mediocre returns.