Why the Black Caps have spent summer away, as fans miss out
When the opening ball of the first test against England is bowled next month in Mt Maunganui, it’ll have been 77 days since Black Caps fans could attend a game in New Zealand.
The only way to watch the national men’s cricket side – who will have played 19 days of international cricket between Boxing Day and February 2 – for the past two months has been via television coverage from Pakistan and India from late in the evening and ending before dawn.
The last international cricket match in this country was a rained-out ODI between the White Ferns women’s team and an overmatched Bangladesh side on December 17.
No surprise, then, that fans have been expressing their disappointment on social media at the absence of matches here involving the Black Caps – and that near sell-out crowds are expected to flock to next month’s two tests against England.
New Zealand Cricket is aware of the resulting current disconnect with cricket followers – although chief executive David White was unavailable to be interviewed on the subject this week – but feel a combination of circumstances dictated a relatively unusual summer programme, which ends with two tests, three ODIs and three T20Is versus Sri Lanka here between March 9 and April 8.
Just twice in the past 10 years has the NZ test side not played here in December or January.
But a changing global events calendar – highlighted by the rescheduled Twenty20 World Cup, which was eventually played in Australia last year from midOctober to mid-November – has played a sizeable part in dictating this summer’s international programme for the Black Caps.
The looming one-day men’s World Cup has also been a factor in them spending six weeks on the subcontinent instead of at the likes of Hagley Oval, the Basin Reserve, Seddon Park and Bay Oval.
The Black Caps played two tests in Pakistan over the Christmas/new year period as part of the World Test Championship competition, which involves nine test nations playing home and away games to find the finalists.
The tests were played in the middle of winter in Pakistan, and bad light was a factor late in the day in the games, eventually ending the second test three overs prematurely when both sides were close to victory.
The T20 World Cup was the focus of international teams for 2022, meaning sides were aiming to play as many white-ball matches as possible during the two months prior to the tournament across the Tasman – and pushing the Pakistan v NZ test series to the latter dates.
The three one-dayers which followed the two tests in Pakistan were part of the 2023 ICC World Cup Super League, which is part of the qualification system for the final tournament to be staged in India from mid-October to midNovember.
The Super League schedule also had to be significantly altered due to the cancellation of a host of series in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both New Zealand and Pakistan had already comfortably qualified for the World Cup finals tournament, which gave the series – won 2-1 by the visitors – less relevance.
The Black Caps then headed to India for three ODI games – losing 3-0 – and are now involved in a three-game Twenty20 series.
Again, the major ICC event of the year – the 2023 World Cup – was a key factor in New Zealand agreeing to play there in January, with the Black Caps wanting as much white-ball experience in the host country of the tournament.
Yet that’s left the Black Clash – a strangely popular not-forcharity event contested by former Black Caps and various rugby players – as the best-attended cricket match of the summer.
The Super Smash competition – which often features doubleheader men’s and women’s games – has had some decent attendance figures over the ‘holiday’ period, while also being heavily broadcast through Spark Sport
and some free-to-air coverage.
But – as with the men’s BBL in Australia – the domestic T20 competition rarely features NZ’s best men’s players due to their international commitments, while the White Ferns are missing from the latter stages of the women’s event after heading off to South Africa to prepare for the World Cup.
Ironically, had the Black Caps played in New Zealand over the Christmas/new year holiday period, the wet weather in the upper half of the North Island would have ruled out a lot of play – which would have led to questions on social media as to why NZC doesn’t schedule tests for February and March when the weather is more settled.
Black Caps fans may not be placated to learn that next summer’s Christmas/new year holiday fare at home will be Bangladesh for three ODIs and three T20Is.
The two major drawcards will arrive later in the season again – South Africa will play two tests in February before Australia arrive to contest two tests and three T20Is.