Black Caps shrug off Wagner’s ‘shush’
“I don't know what that shush was about. But we know Neil's a very passionate guy, he wears his heart on his sleeve.” Black Caps test captain Tim Southee on Neil Wagner
The captain and coach of the Black Caps are happy to remain in the dark over gestures from veteran bowler Neil Wagner during their second test win over South Africa.
Wagner was seen putting his finger to his lips in a shushing motion after dismissing batter Zubayr Hamza in the Proteas’ second innings on day three in Hamilton.
The left-armer was also captured by photographers raising his middle finger after earlier taking a catch.
Wagner was the sixth bowler used by captain Tim Southee in South Africa’s second innings – the first time in Wagner’s 64-test career he’d been brought on in that position.
“Obviously Neil’s a very passionate man – we all love him to bits and what he brings to the side,” Southee said following the 2-0 series win.
“Just trying to channel his energy into the right place.
“He was probably a bit frustrated it took so long to come to the bowling crease … just making sure to channel his energy into what we needed at the time. He came on and took that wicket and that was a big part of the game as well.
“I don't know what that shush was about. But we know Neil’s a very passionate guy, he wears his heart on his sleeve.”
Head coach Gary Stead also admitted he didn’t know who the shushing gesture was aimed at.
“I haven’t asked Neil around it. He’s a passionate guy that wears his heart on his sleeve. I don’t know who it was at, or what it was for, so I can’t comment further.”
Wagner wasn’t selected in the XI for the first test at Bay Oval, and took 2-74 from 24 overs in the second test at Seddon Park. He has maintained his place in the squad for the upcoming two-test series against Australia, with pace bowler Kyle Jamieson now out of cricket for at least a year with another back stress fracture.
Southee struggled during the series, taking only two wickets at an average of 91.5 – his lowest return from a series where he’s played at least twice. His next-worst was
three, at home versus Australia in 2016.
“I feel I've bowled worse and got more wickets and that’s the way the game goes at times,” Southee said.
“Your currency as a bowler for New Zealand is wickets and you always want more wickets, and I guess it's a poor return this series.
“The surfaces we have played on haven't been too seamer-friendly.
“I think the job Kyle did in Tauranga, and the job Will O’Rourke did here ... and then we’ve been aided by the ability to have two guys in the top seven to be able to bowl as well … I think if you look at the rest of us, you would want to do better, you want to take as many wickets, but we’re a different bowling unit to, I guess, the settled group we've had for 10 years or so,” Southee said.
“But it’s two test wins – you need to take 20 wickets to win a test match and we’ve done that.”
Stead believes Southee will be more effective at the Basin Reserve and Hagley Oval in the tests against Australia.
He said the two test pitches in Wellington and Christchurch are expected to have “more zip and life to them, and that’s when he [Southee] becomes more dangerous.”
“It’s always difficult when you get on wickets that aren't normal, as such. Both pitches we played on were on the slower side – they certainly didn’t have the pace, the bounce, the green-ness that we usually see.
“We got two wins though, and that was ultimately what we were after in the series.”