Taylor dropped, Ferguson ruled out of Black Caps T20 squad
ROSS Taylor will fight for his Twenty20 international career, but the rise of Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips leaves the Black Caps’ senior statesman with one foot at the exit.
Taylor, the first cricketer to play 100 internationals in each of the three formats, was dropped yesterday from the 18-man squad for three T20s in five days against Pakistan, starting in Auckland on Friday night.
The 36-year-old’s absencewas amajor talking point, as was that of star fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who suffered a bone stress injury in his back.
Taylor will be challenged to prove the selectors wrong with the Central Stags in the T20 Super Smash, which will feature Black Caps after the January 3-7 test against Pakistan.
‘‘He’ll fight, and we want him to fight,’’ selector Gavin Larsen said. ‘‘We’ve got three games in five days then we move into a
very important domestic Super Smash competition where there’s a lot to play for, for a lot of players. You throw Ross into that mix now.’’
With captain Kane Williamson returning for games two and three, pending the arrival of his first child, there was no room for Taylor, he said, especially after Phillips and newcomer Conway blasted the West Indies bowlers all over Bay Oval on November 29.
‘‘A lot of thought went into that decision and it wasn’t an easy one. Ross has done a great job for us over the years and been very consistent in that No 5 role.
‘‘What Glenn Phillips and Devon Conway have done in those first two games against West Indies was compelling. It’s the brand of T20 cricket we’re wanting to move forward with, and that’s not to say Ross doesn’t play that style. He does, but we wanted to put those two guys back on the park against Pakistan and give them more game time.’’
Unless injuries hit, this looks the end for Taylor in the shortest format, having stated he wants to play the World Cup in 2023. Removing T20 internationals from his workloadwould be an obvious first step, and Larsen agreed mobility in the field was also a factor.
Martin Guptill and Tim Seifert will open against Pakistan with Williamson, Conway and Phillips’ positions yet to be finalised. Mark Chapman, who plays game one, is another in the top-five mix that the selectors like.
Phillips made his name as an opener, but after his stunning 108 off 51 balls at No 4 against West Indies he was now a vital middle order option.
On the bowling front, Ferguson and Hamish Bennett (abdominal tear) are both sidelined, meaning a potential debut for 26-year-old Otago seamer Jacob Duffy.
Ferguson’s injury is a big worry, after a scan saw him diagnosedwith the dreaded fast bowler’s injury of a bone stress injury in his lumbar spine. Larsen hoped the five-match T20 series againstAustralia in Februarywas a realistic target.
Legspinner Todd Astle returns to the T20 squad alongside Ish Sodhi, with
Mitchell Santner captaining in game one then resting when Williamson returns.
Larsen said Astle could be a backup spinner for next year’s T20 World Cup in India.