Heat on NZ selections
In the not-too-distant past, picking a cricket team to host Bangladesh would involve something akin to throwing 15 names in a hat, drawing them out rapidly and adjourning for a long lunch.
New Zealand’s flop in the rapidly fading Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series in Australia and a thin pool of genuine contenders meant Mike Hesson and Gavin Larsen grasped their red pens with some trepidation when they met last week.
Not to mention Bangladesh’s one-day international form which included a win over England at Adelaide at the 2015 World Cup, a three-wicket fright for the Black Caps in Hamilton en route to the quarterfinals, and home series wins over Pakistan (3-0), India (2-1) and South Africa (2-1), before a 2-1 defeat to England in their most recent in October.
The recall of two hard heads of domestic cricket – 33-year-old Neil Broom and 35-year-old Luke Ronchi – for the Boxing Day ODI opener in Christchurch was a clear signal the red carpet won’t be unfurled for the tourists when they touch down in Auckland today. A one-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Whangarei kicks off their visit on Thursday, following a two-week training camp in Sydney.
‘‘Bangladesh are far more than a developing nation now and if we don’t play well we’ll get exposed,’’ Hesson said. ‘‘We’re keen to give these players enough opportunity to find their feet on the international stage, but along with that we need performance.’’
That was the head-scratcher for chief selector Hesson and Larsen, who monitors domestic cricket with ‘spotter’ Bob Carter, a former New Zealand assistant coach.
Either introduce newcomers like batsmen Tom Bruce or Will Young, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell or one of the crop of young glovemen, and spin bowling allrounder Mark Chapman, or bolster the team with experience.
The latter won through, with former easybeats Bangladesh presenting the kind of challenge you’ll find tiptoeing in jandals across a slippery floor. Be solid and sensible and you should get through, but get complacent and even reckless and you’ll come crashing down.
Certainly an ODI series defeat to the seventh-ranked nation (ahead of Pakistan and West Indies) would mean serious ego bruising for fourth-ranked New Zealand and prompt more tough decisions with an eye to June’s Champions Trophy. New Zealand haven’t lost in seven home ODIs against Bangladesh, with Hamilton their closest call.
Hesson laboured the point that his Black Caps are in a rebuilding phase post-World Cup, without the likes of Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori and Grant Elliott, combined with Ross Taylor’s absence after eye surgery. Taylor is on track to return for Central Stags in Twenty20 before playing the first test in Wellington on January 12.
It’s made the middle-order batting more troublesome, with Henry Nicholls jettisoned and a No 4 required, as Jimmy Neesham and Colin Munro look to fill the five and six slots.
A class player rated among the best by his peers on batting ability, when sounded out Broom jumped at the chance for his first ODI since Bangladesh are far more than a developing nation now and if we don’t play well we’ll get exposed. March, 2010. It also put the heat on young domestic batsmen to step up.
‘‘Certainly the younger ones from a batting point of view hadn’t done enough to warrant inclusion, and still haven’t,’’ Hesson said.
‘‘Everyone develops at different stages. Sure we’d all love to think we find 18, 19, 20-year-olds who are incredibly talented but your Kane Williamsons don’t come along all that often. We’re hopeful those guys will progress through the ranks.’’
Williamson, incidentally, is in a designated rest period postAustralia and will sit out domestic Twenty20 before joining his team in Christchurch before Christmas. Hesson confirmed his skipper will lead the team in the three T20 internationals, too, starting in Napier on January 3 where some more new faces like a Blundell, Bruce, Young or Chapman might be seen.
Bangladesh named a 22-man training squad for Sydney including devastating young left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman. The 21-yearold king of swing has a bowling average of 12 from nine ODIs, and 14 from 13 T20 internationals, but hasn’t played since undergoing shoulder surgery after an England stint in August.
‘‘Mustafizur took the IPL by storm this year and seems to be the next big star in world cricket. He’s coming back from injury and how much of a role he’ll play we’re unsure,’’ Hesson said.
‘‘Shakib al Hasan is ranked in the top-two allrounders in the world. His left-arm spin and batting in the middle is pretty destructive. I could reel off 10 names.
‘‘At home they’ve got a formidable record and away from home, at the last World Cup they played incredibly well. If you don’t front up against these boys you’ll get knocked over and a few sides around the world have found that in the last three-four years.’’