The Eight Ball [8Ball]

It’s a sad day in any NZ sport when we have to rely on the old fullas to get us through.  Surely we have enough young talent coming up the ranks that we should be nurturing and encouraging to start taking the responsibilities over from our 30+ generation.

The NZ Cricket selectors just recently announced the T20 and ODI squads to be playing Bangladesh next month and although it does look experimental rather than trying to field our strongest side, you can’t help but think, “Isn’t a series against Bangers the perfect scenario to give new guys a crack?”  I mean, this is the mentality the All Blacks use.  Trial the new guys against the easy beats of Italy and Scotland so they get used to the pressure and the environment of the international scene before you expose them to a Tri-Nations match for instance.

Next year we have one of the most prestigious occasions in World Cricket, the One Day International World Cup.  One Dayers have been around a long time now and so has this World Cup.  The 50 over match is less of a lottery than a T20 and for the non cricket purists, it’s a bit more palatable than a Test match but still allows teams to use some real tactics and strategies to win the game.  Building up to an occasion like this you could reasonably expect in the year leading up to it that most countries will try out a LOT of young players to see if they’re going to have what it takes to step up for such an occasion and go on to be influential players for their countries after the experience.

But no, not here in NZ, we’ve decided we’re going to try out some guys at the end of their careers who will be even older by the time next years World Cup rolls around.  We’re hoping our aging generation is going to win this one for us.  They’re injury prone and their fitness is questionable and they certainly can’t fly around the field like the young’ins can.

Let’s take a look at who we’ve got.

Shane Bond – Sure, even though he’s 34 you’d take him because frankly he’s still the best bowler we’ve got and if we don’t use him we’ll lose him as his career is almost over, fair call.

Darryl Tuffey – Played his first match for NZ last year in 5 years and is currently 31 years old.  Yes he’s good but there are a ton of great new young bowlers of his ilk on the scene at the moment, surely it’s time for Daz to step aside and let one of them have a turn.

Andrew McKay – Quite a surprise bowling selection.  The Wellingtonian has had a good domestic season and a better than average HRV Cup but really?  He’s 31 years old and we have a NZ contracted player in Brent Arnel who hasn’t been selected for the Black Caps yet, not to mention the likes of Bradley Scott who has been outstanding with the ball recently taking 8 wickets for 20 runs in his last two T20 matches.

Scott Styris – Here’s an old man I feel bad for.  The Black Caps need good all rounders and at the moment Styris is one of the best, putting on some massive performances with bat and ball to help the Auckland Aces make the final of the HRV Cup but he’s been overlooked, maybe the selectors did pull the age card on this one?

Peter Ingram – Amazing performances in all forms of the game in the domestic season.  This guy absolutely mothers the ball when he hits it, 31 years old and just made the squad.  Looks like a super player but certainly not a player for the future already at the end of his career.

Gareth Hopkins – Called in as Wicket Keeper back up, at 34 years old you have to wonder.  Peter McGlashan was the back up to McCullum last year but he has been shaky with the gloves, dropping a few and missing some stumpings here and there, it can be painful to watch and maybe he needs a little more time.  Hopkins gloves have been solid and he’s capable with the bat.  Let’s hope that Hopkins is just in there as a stop gap until McGlashan is ready.

WHAT ABOUT BJ?
You really have to feel for young BJ Watling, in my mind he should definitely be in the squad.  His performances opening the batting for the Knights in the HRV Cup were superb and he had a few good cracks against Pakistan late last year too, smart kid with a good head on his shoulders and massive future.  He should definitely have been selected in the hope that he may even be capable of taking on Australia after we put Bangers away.  And I’m sorry but I have to say it, Jacob Oram should no longer be an automatic selection, all players should be picked on form and this guy is NOT in form.  No runs and very few wickets in the HRV Cup, I don’t think he deserves his place at all.

Full squads named below:

Twenty20 squad

Brendon McCullum (Otago Volts)
Peter Ingram (Central Stags)
Martin Guptill (Auckland Aces)
Ross Taylor (Central Stags)
James Franklin (Wellington Firebirds)
Gareth Hopkins (Auckland Aces)
Jacob Oram (Central Stags)
Nathan McCullum (Otago Volts)
Daniel Vettori (Northern Knights)
Ian Butler (Otago Volts)
Daryl Tuffey (Auckland Aces)
Tim Southee (Northern Knights)

One-Day International squad

Brendon McCullum (Otago Volts)
Peter Ingram (Central Stags)
Martin Guptill (Auckland Aces)
Ross Taylor (Central Stags)
Neil Broom (Otago Volts)
James Franklin (Wellington Firebirds)
Daniel Vettori (Northern Knights)
Jacob Oram (Central Stags)
Ian Butler (Otago Volts)
Daryl  Tuffey (Auckland Aces)
Tim Southee (Northern Knights)
Andrew McKay (Wellington Firebirds)