"Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi and offspinner Mark Craig will be hoping for Test debuts on New Zealand's tour of the West Indies after being named in a 15-man squad for the three-Test series in June. The unexpected call-up for Craig came after Jeetan Patel was reportedly told he was in the squad but made himself unavailable so he could focus on a full season for Warwickshire and be with his wife and baby, who are based with him in the UK."
http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies ... 37127.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Test squad Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (capt), Tom Latham, Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Craig, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi.
Kiwi Test squad to tour Caribbean
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mikesiva
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AFRO
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With two of the games being in spin friendly conditions...we really should be winning this series. But i guess it depends on the wukless selectors!!...will they keep faith in Marlon? is the dropping of Sammy still set in stone? who will be the pacers on show and will they go with the two spinners? and if the latter comes to pass will it be Shilly, Permaul, Miller or even Bishoo?
All questions that will need answering.
All questions that will need answering.
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Colin Benjamin
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Narine & Shillingford must start if two spinners are played (especially in Guyana & Trini). Its still one the major faux pas of the current selection panel in the last few years that the duo have not played a test together as yet.
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Colin Benjamin
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This is the XI & squad i believe the selector should pick for the NZ tests:
Gayle, K Edwards, Bravo, Samuels, C'Paul, DW Bravo (captain), Ramdin, Taylor, Narine, Holder, Roach.
Back-ups: Simmons, K Braithwaite/Powell, Shillingford
I would personally drop Gayle, but the 1st test has already been hyped as his 100th so he will play, but his days as a test player are numbered, so this series is basically his last chance.
Although Roach has not played this season, I don't think that will prevent the selectors from picking him. I saw on the Barbados show "Line & Lenght" last week he said he was 2 weeks away from full fitness & i believe the selectors will fast track him back to the team.
Lil Bravo & Powell haven't had great season, we certainly would have liked them to be dominant. But i reckon previous form in the NZ might count more. So i'm willing to have faith in Bravo, he has a chance to play a few big innings for Trini in the semi's & maybe the 4-day final coming up.
However K Powell could be under pressure from K Brathwaite, especially if Kraigg scores a hundred in the 4-day semi/finals.
Gayle, K Edwards, Bravo, Samuels, C'Paul, DW Bravo (captain), Ramdin, Taylor, Narine, Holder, Roach.
Back-ups: Simmons, K Braithwaite/Powell, Shillingford
I would personally drop Gayle, but the 1st test has already been hyped as his 100th so he will play, but his days as a test player are numbered, so this series is basically his last chance.
Although Roach has not played this season, I don't think that will prevent the selectors from picking him. I saw on the Barbados show "Line & Lenght" last week he said he was 2 weeks away from full fitness & i believe the selectors will fast track him back to the team.
Lil Bravo & Powell haven't had great season, we certainly would have liked them to be dominant. But i reckon previous form in the NZ might count more. So i'm willing to have faith in Bravo, he has a chance to play a few big innings for Trini in the semi's & maybe the 4-day final coming up.
However K Powell could be under pressure from K Brathwaite, especially if Kraigg scores a hundred in the 4-day semi/finals.
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AFRO
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Personally i think these players SHOULD be nailed on for the first test..
Gayle= not my pick but like you said Colin they are hyping him up
Brathwaite= He's earned it by the performances he's put in imo
Edwards= again he's done well lately
Darren Bravo= he performs on the big stage
Chanderpaul
Ramdin= should be captain imo
Holder= i think he should get his chance now
Narine
The rest is all up in the air!!.does Samuels really deserve to keep his place? i'm not sure anymore.
Gayle= not my pick but like you said Colin they are hyping him up
Brathwaite= He's earned it by the performances he's put in imo
Edwards= again he's done well lately
Darren Bravo= he performs on the big stage
Chanderpaul
Ramdin= should be captain imo
Holder= i think he should get his chance now
Narine
The rest is all up in the air!!.does Samuels really deserve to keep his place? i'm not sure anymore.
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Colin Benjamin
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As i mentioned in the other thread, this article by Garth Wattley in the trinidad express recentlyy makes me officially worried about Lil Bravo's form - http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/S ... 74121.html. Word is he has been having mental issues since he came home early from the NZ tour & this is not good.AFRO wrote:Personally i think these players SHOULD be nailed on for the first test..
Gayle= not my pick but like you said Colin they are hyping him up
Brathwaite= He's earned it by the performances he's put in imo
Edwards= again he's done well lately
Darren Bravo= he performs on the big stage
Chanderpaul
Ramdin= should be captain imo
Holder= i think he should get his chance now
Narine
The rest is all up in the air!!.does Samuels really deserve to keep his place? i'm not sure anymore.
But the problem is no batsman has done well enough in the 4-day season to really push him out. J Carter showed his talent with a good hundred in the 4-day semi final, but he barely averaged 27 for the season.
Samuels i'd still hold on to yes. Unlike Lil Bravo & Gayle - i don't think he has mentally or technically issues that are very serious. He is just going through a bad patch that every batsman suffers from ever so often.
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mapoui2
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Samuels? I agree that we have to keep him. I agree on the technical side also..but not on the mental/emotional question.Samuels i'd still hold on to yes. Unlike Lil Bravo & Gayle - i don't think he has mentally or technically issues that are very serious. He is just going through a bad patch that every batsman suffers from ever so often.
on Carter I am purely vex! he scored a ton somewhere back there..was it ODI? he looked good and a few dung heap scores and he would have been certain for all considerations.
but nothing! we got 27 average is it for dung heap! wasted opportunity and no solution to west indies batting problems
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mikesiva
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I don't understand this clamour to get rid of Gayle...it's just not borne out by the stats.
Here are the four contenders for opening batsmen, and their stats in Test cricket for 2103:
1) Chris Gayle, four Tests, 242 runs @ 40.33
2) Kirk Edwards, three Tests, 156 runs @ 26
3) Kieran Powell, seven Tests, 260 runs @ 20
4) Kraigg Brathwaite, one Test, 52 runs @ 26
Gayle is our best opening batsman still...he stays until we have better openers to take his place.
There have been very few contenders coming to the fore from dung heap....
http://www.windiesfans.com/forums/viewt ... 8&start=10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
IMHO, the following players are incumbents, and are not in danger of losing their places in the Test team:
1) Chris Gayle
2) Darren Bravo
3) Kirk Edwards
4) Shiv Chanderpaul
5) Denesh Ramdin
6) Sunil Narine
7) Marlon Samuels
I'm hoping Darren Sammy is not picked, though I know that he will be...despite Afro's claims that he won't be picked. However, I will operate on the premise that he is, because I don't think we can win if he's in the side. Based upon the team of the round, and those on the periphery, my remaining members of the 13-man squad would include the following:
8) Kraigg Brathwaite
9) Kieran Powell
10) Nikita Miller
11) Jerome Taylor
12) Shannon Gabriel
13) Nelon Pascal or Delorn Johnson
I've dropped Jason Mohammed from my squad, because his performances have tapered off. I wouldn't pick Shacoya Thomas or Rommel Currency, because I think they should be in the A team, when a series for our second XI is finally arranged....
IMHO, the following players have not done enough to merit a call up to the Test team - Holder, Big Bravo, Simmons,
The jury is still out on whether Shilly is the same player after remodelling his action. Also, as right-hand offspinners, I just don't think it makes sense to play Shilly and Narine side-by-side. It's either one or the other. A right hand offie should play either alongside a leggie (Bishoo?) or a lefty (Miller or Permaul or Benn). Roach is injured, and just recovering from a car crash, so is best left out for now.
Here are the four contenders for opening batsmen, and their stats in Test cricket for 2103:
1) Chris Gayle, four Tests, 242 runs @ 40.33
2) Kirk Edwards, three Tests, 156 runs @ 26
3) Kieran Powell, seven Tests, 260 runs @ 20
4) Kraigg Brathwaite, one Test, 52 runs @ 26
Gayle is our best opening batsman still...he stays until we have better openers to take his place.
There have been very few contenders coming to the fore from dung heap....
http://www.windiesfans.com/forums/viewt ... 8&start=10" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
IMHO, the following players are incumbents, and are not in danger of losing their places in the Test team:
1) Chris Gayle
2) Darren Bravo
3) Kirk Edwards
4) Shiv Chanderpaul
5) Denesh Ramdin
6) Sunil Narine
7) Marlon Samuels
I'm hoping Darren Sammy is not picked, though I know that he will be...despite Afro's claims that he won't be picked. However, I will operate on the premise that he is, because I don't think we can win if he's in the side. Based upon the team of the round, and those on the periphery, my remaining members of the 13-man squad would include the following:
8) Kraigg Brathwaite
9) Kieran Powell
10) Nikita Miller
11) Jerome Taylor
12) Shannon Gabriel
13) Nelon Pascal or Delorn Johnson
I've dropped Jason Mohammed from my squad, because his performances have tapered off. I wouldn't pick Shacoya Thomas or Rommel Currency, because I think they should be in the A team, when a series for our second XI is finally arranged....
IMHO, the following players have not done enough to merit a call up to the Test team - Holder, Big Bravo, Simmons,
The jury is still out on whether Shilly is the same player after remodelling his action. Also, as right-hand offspinners, I just don't think it makes sense to play Shilly and Narine side-by-side. It's either one or the other. A right hand offie should play either alongside a leggie (Bishoo?) or a lefty (Miller or Permaul or Benn). Roach is injured, and just recovering from a car crash, so is best left out for now.
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Colin Benjamin
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I don't see why it wouldn't make sense to play Narine & Shillingford together?. Australia played two leggies Warne/MacGill, O'Reilly/Grimmett, may times together with great success. So thats a a strange query.
Plus we must consider now that Shillingford can't bowl the doosra, he will essentially be just bowling his off-break & using variations/change of pace to trouble test batsmen from now on.
Narine has his "carron ball" that turns away from the right hander, so it will be two off-spinners that will pose different challenges.
Despite what the stats say, Gayle is in decline across all formats. His technique is a mess & his fitness looks disastrous these days - if there is any format I don't want him playing is tests. But as been discussed before, the 1st test of this series has already been hyped by the WICB as his "100th test" - so he is only playing by sentiment. Since I think it might be time invest in Kraigg Braithwate as test opener, consider opening with Kirk Edwards also.
I won't mind if D Johnson is called up - but not Pascal of Holder.
Plus we must consider now that Shillingford can't bowl the doosra, he will essentially be just bowling his off-break & using variations/change of pace to trouble test batsmen from now on.
Narine has his "carron ball" that turns away from the right hander, so it will be two off-spinners that will pose different challenges.
Despite what the stats say, Gayle is in decline across all formats. His technique is a mess & his fitness looks disastrous these days - if there is any format I don't want him playing is tests. But as been discussed before, the 1st test of this series has already been hyped by the WICB as his "100th test" - so he is only playing by sentiment. Since I think it might be time invest in Kraigg Braithwate as test opener, consider opening with Kirk Edwards also.
I won't mind if D Johnson is called up - but not Pascal of Holder.