Conway happy to shelve drinks
Devon Conway is set to be back in the middle tomorrow night after spending two weeks carrying the drinks for the Black Caps.
While his wait for a test debut is set to stretch into 2021, if not beyond then, he is looking forward to having the chance to cement himself in the Twenty20 team.
The 29-year-old made 41 and an unbeaten 65 in his first two international matches against the West Indies last month, and he now gets to pick up where he left off against Pakistan, starting at Eden Park in Auckland tomorrow.
Conway and fellow big-hitter Glenn Phillips have been given the nod to carry on after impressing last time out and with Kane Williamson set to return to the fold for games two and three, pending the arrival of his first child, that has meant there is no room for Ross Taylor.
It’s a selection decision that has prompted plenty of debate – one Gary Stead has described as one of the toughest of his coaching career – and even Conway said it was ‘‘a pretty hard call’’.
‘‘We all know what a great player he is,’’ he added. ‘‘We all know what he’s done for New Zealand cricket and this is not the end of him in T20 cricket.
‘‘It’s a great opportunity for us to have another crack at T20 at international level and try to prove that we can play this level.’’
Conway may be tasked with filling Taylor’s shoes over the next week or so, but so far this summer he has relished the chance to learn off the experienced batsman, who played his 100th T20 international earlier this year.
‘‘We had some conversations and it was good to get to know him,’’ Conway said. ‘‘I’ve watched him play from a young age and I’ve always admired the way he’s played his game.
‘‘Being alongside him and having those conversations, it was pretty much me just trying to watch him how he goes about his business.’’
Conway has spent the past two weeks performing 12th man duties for the Black Caps alongside Mitchell Santner after being called into the test squad to play the West Indies as cover after initially missing out.
His first-class record with the Wellington Firebirds – 2008 runs in 21 matches at an average of 69.24 – means there are plenty of people eager to see him get a chance in test cricket.
But as things stand, he is the second backup batsman, behind
Will Young and the regular top five of Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Williamson, Taylor, and Henry Nicholls, who scored a much-needed century in the second test.
‘‘To break into that test team initially would be a hell of a task in itself.
‘‘They’ve got a really stable setup there, and they’ve got extremely experienced players playing at the moment,’’ Conway said.
‘‘It’s one of those things where I’ve just got to be patient and if an opportunity does present itself that will be a cherry on top.’’