Jason Pine: The Black Caps can't go in half-baked

I still don't know why there weren't any warmup games. I can only assume, only assume, as Dylan said - that T20 just doesn't matter as much to New Zealand cricket as the other forms of the game otherwise. They simply would not have sent the players into battle underprepared.

There is a rationale to say a decent chunk of the side have come from the IPL, where they've been playing a lot of T20 cricket, but the fact is most of them didn't actually play a heck of a lot in the IPL.

Most of the New Zealand players who were in the IPL weren't really first choice for their sides. And those who did play didn't exactly set the world on fire - it has to be said.

The fact is, of the others, they've hardly played any T20 cricket and all recently. Finn Allen's last game of T20 cricket was in February, Same with Devon Conway, Same with Glenn Phillips. These guys haven't played T20 for three or four months, so to expect them to go into unfamiliar surroundings, and perform straight away in what has turned out to be a pretty crucial match is fanciful.

Yes, they're good players, I don't think there's any selection issue here. You wouldn't say that these aren't our best T20 players on form and reputation. So, it's not as though you say, ‘he shouldn't be there, he should be there instead.’

Yes, you can talk about selection of the 11 for yesterday. I’d have Rachin Ravindra in there and probably Jimmy Neesham as well. And they may make those changes. But by and large, it's our best players in the squad.

It just seems to be a complete oversight in terms of giving them any preparation at all, Afghanistan aren’t a bad side, we're not talking about a minnow anymore. Afghanistan are a good white ball side, and they proved that yesterday.

You can't go in half-baked.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I still don't know why there weren't any warm up games.
I can only assume, only assume, as Dylan said that
T twenty just doesn't matter as much to New Zealand
cricket as the other forms of the game. Otherwise they
simply would not have sent the players into battle underprepared.

(00:33):
There is a rationale to say a decent chunk of
the side have come from the IPL, where they've been
playing a lot of T twenty cricket, but the fact
is most of them didn't actually play a heck of
a lot in the IPL. Most of the New Zealand
players who were in the IPL weren't really first choice
for their sides, and those who did play didn't exactly

(00:56):
set the world on fire. It has to be said
the factors of the others, they've hardly played any T
twenty cricket at all recently. Finn Allen's last game of
T twenty cricket was in February, same with Devin Conway,
same with Gwenn Phillips. These guys haven't played T twenty

(01:17):
for three or four months, so to expect them to
go into unfamiliar surroundings and perform straight away and what
has turned out to be a pretty crucial match, I
mean fanciful. Yes, they're good players. I don't think there's
any selection issue here. As Dylan said, you wouldn't say

(01:38):
that these aren't our best T twenty players on form
and on reputation. So it's not as though you say
he shouldn't be there, he should be there instead. Yes,
you can talk about selection of the eleven for yesterday,
and I agree with Dylan. I'd have rch and Ravendra
and probably Jimmy Nisham as well, and I think they
may make those changes, so you might want to comment
on that, but by and large it's our best players

(02:01):
in the squad. It just seems to be a complete
oversight in terms of giving them any preparation at all.
Afghanistan out a bad side. That's the thing that you know.
We're not talking about a minnow anymore. Afghanistan are a
good white ball side and they proved that yesterday. You

(02:22):
can you can't go in half bait.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
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