NZC backs selection process
New Zealand Cricket won’t be making any drastic changes as it reviews the Black Caps’ disastrous test series whitewash at the hands of England.
The world test champions’ defence of their title, won a year ago this month, is effectively over, even though they still have series against Pakistan (away) and Sri Lanka (home) to come in the next 12 months.
Losing 3-0 to an England team that went into the series having won one of its last 17 matches has ultimately accounted for them, but worrying signs were there last summer on home soil.
First they suffered a shock loss to Bangladesh at Bay Oval in January, then they failed to seal a series win over South Africa at Hagley Oval in February – results which left them needing a near-perfect record in their remaining three series to make the World Test Championship final for the second cycle in a row.
The whitewash by England was arguably the Black Caps’ most disappointing performance in redball cricket in a decade, going back to their loss in the West Indies in 2012, and they will have plenty of time to reflect before their next series in Pakistan in December.
‘‘I’ve obviously been talking closely with [coach] Gary [Stead] and the team,’’ NZ Cricket chief executive David White said yesterday.
‘‘We’ve lost key moments and this series hasn’t gone how we would’ve liked it to have gone, but the Black Caps have been outstanding for a number of years.
‘‘We will reassess, we’ll review the tour like we do with every tour, but we’ll work through it in a calm, methodical way to ensure that we take the lessons from, from what’s happened and we move forward.’’
Selections have been a hot topic throughout the series, with tireless seamer Neil Wagner not featuring in the first two tests and left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel not playing after the series opener, where he bowled a total of two overs.
Batter Daryl Mitchell was by far the Black Caps’ best player, scoring 538 runs at an average of 108, but wouldn’t have been picked for the first test had Henry Nicholls not been injured.
The responsibility for selection on tour ultimately rests with Stead, though he does work hand in hand with captain Kane Williamson. pandemic hit, but White said it was something that would be considered again.
The lack of faith shown in Patel since he became third bowler in the history of test cricket to take 10 wickets in an innings in India last December has brought the issue of New Zealand’s spin-bowling stocks to the fore.
Michael Bracewell was used as an all-rounder who could bowl spin in the second and third tests and though he took five wickets, they came at an average of 57 while he went for almost six runs per over.
Spinners have barely had a part to play in home tests of late, with those at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui the notable exceptions.
White said figuring out how to develop test-ready spin bowlers in New Zealand conditions was something that was ‘‘top of mind’’ for NZ Cricket’s high performance department.