March 11, 2025 • 9 mins
Michael Bracewell will captain a team lacking on some of the big men's names in New Zealand cricket for the five-match T20 series against Pakistan starting Sunday.
There's no Kane Williamson, Bevon Jacobs, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra or Mitchell Santner due to IPL or other commitments.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB, Tim Pastor seven.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Let's hit it with Sam Wells. New Zealander Cricket Selector
squad has been that name to take on Pakistan and
a home T twenty I series gets in the way
on Sunday in christ Church at two pm. The squad
has been released. There are a number of players who
won't be playing because of commitments to the IPL and
a couple of boys that will be playing on men
(00:36):
that will be playing attempting to push their way into
the selection frame ahead of that big tournament. On all
of that, we're joined now by Sam Wells and Zyland
Cricket Selector.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Good evening, Sam, Hi, Darcy, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, very very good. Michael Brace will beast who perform
so well in the Hick Champions Trophy final he gets
captain the black Caps on home series. There is a
five game T twenty ice series coming up against Pakistan.
A lot of considerations in this series and a few
play back from the outer which I like to start
(01:09):
with that, and let's look at some of those guys
I like to have ciphered a Nisan and Allen what
considerations around their selection considering they haven't got central contracts.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah, look, there's a few moving parts, so it all.
I suppose, First of all, we've.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Now gone past the champions Trophy and in the horizon
is another ICIC Pinnacle event being the T twenty World
Cup in India, which is now less than twelve months away,
So I focused with the T twenty team shifts to that,
and we're really focused on having good preparation and build
up for all of the ICC events and this is
no different. So we've been in talks with these players
(01:47):
for the last month or six weeks or so to
get their commitment for all our twenty fixtures if selected
for the next year and build up and they've committed
to that. So while they aren't centrally contracted, if they've
committed to the T twenty preparation that we consider as
required and we're really pleased to get that. Look, these
guys have really emphasized with us that their priority is
(02:10):
still playing cricket for New Zealand and that's what they
want to do. They've come back and all three of
them have played for trophy and then put good performances
on the board.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So yeah, look, it's just.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Working with the players and lining up you know, a
good preparation and that's really what it's all about.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So we're really happy where we've landed.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Basically, they've said if we get BBL contracts or South
African T twenty contracts, we won't be picking them up
because they can't, can they if they've committed to you
and they want to get picked for that World Cup.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Essentially, yeah, they've said that they'll commit to all of
our T twenty games if selected.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Look, and it's about.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Giving them, you know, enough time and communication to work
through whatever deals they have in place.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
But essentially, yeah, they've committed to all the games that
we have.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
New Zealand Cricket have been very fluid in this space
and I think it's the most pragmatic way to handle.
How does that work from a selection point of view
when you're dealing with a number of different contracts or
lack their role? Is that tricky?
Speaker 4 (03:16):
It's not too tricky, like it's just trying to get
everyone together and the ground away for But you're right,
we've got to be a little bit pragmatic. But the
world of cricket is changing. We accept for example, in
this window, you know has been accepted for some time
that players, if they get an IPL.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Deal, they go go and do that.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Equally, you know some players are going to make a
decision to go and not taking New Zealand contract in
playoffs where because the financial rewards you know, make sense
for them at that time of their career or whatever
it is. But if we can find a ground where
when we're lining up for a particular event, if we're
satisfied all we can get an appropriate bur up and
(03:53):
commitment from the players, then I think we'd be silly
to not work with them to try and make that
work because it's in the interests of both the team
and the player.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
So the players that have been selected, and there are
some I would say outside it's but some people that
line is close to the core team mist I'm sure
they'd like to be because they're still early in their careers.
This is all about keeping all of your options open
in giving players international experience with no promises here.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, I think the way in particularly this particular.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Window, when the IPIPL players are away, we're naturally going
to have to dig a bit deeper into the depth,
and that presents more opportunities for guys, and that's happened
for some time for a number of years now. So yeah,
this particular window gives guys chances. But we see where
guys perform, well, then you know they're then pushing their
place in the main squad.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
And for example, I think Jacob.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Duffy did that really well when given his opportunities recently
and with injury, broke his way into the Champions Trophy squad.
Now he's again here in the T twenty squad. So
look these when these opportunities presented, if players can take them,
that they'll find themselves with more opportunities in the future.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
In the case of Kane Williamson, Samuels joins us SO
and he's in on cricket select a city, he's unavailable,
Where does he sit in the profile over the next
year around his commitments or even conversations have had with
him about where he would like to be, because I'm
sure if he's available and fit, he'll pick him in
an instant, won't you. So one of those conversations being.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Like Samkin's a bit of a series by series at
the moment, and this is just one of the ones
where he's had a big workload, been away overseas for
a couple of months now and we're just managing him
serious by series and.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Those are obviously decisions he'll make.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
If Cain, you know, wants to play, he'll obviously come
into serious consideration and so we'll just had to play
that by you and see how he is going moving forward.
But he's still playing a bit of franchise T twenty
cricket around and I'm sure he still in a while.
I hope he still wants to play for New Zealand
moving forward, but it's he's just at that stage of
(05:58):
the career where he's picking and choosing a bit to
manage his workload.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
But we'll just have to see how that goes moving forward.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
But in turn he will have to be available for
India and Afghanistan those two series in the lead up
to the ten twenty I World Cup next year.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yeah, that's new Zeon Krouget's position at the stage.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Sam just and leaving. I'm really interested to know about
the central contracting system and the way that operates, because
when you get to the top I suppose of that
and you start signing deals to play away and play
overseas and you forego that central contract system. I'm presuming
that just opens up at the bottom for more of
(06:37):
a pathway, which might be a positive unintended consequence of
some of these senior players opting out.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
I suppose there's two discrete things they're one is the
playing opportunities, and two is the contract itself. The contract
is sort of a snapshot in time of when we
have to rank players and allocate points, and then that
spits out of ranking and they get off at a contract,
But that's no guarantee of selection moving forward. But yeah,
if players are ofvailable due to playing elsewhere, obviously that
(07:09):
opens up playing commitments or playing opportunity sorry for others.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
And yes, sometimes you do.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Discover some players that you'd like to have a further
look at, like Tim Robinson and mitcha are a couple
that you've noted there. So yeah, I think I think
there's some really pleasing depth there. And we've obviously lost
a few really experienced, you know, high quality New Zealand
players in recent times, but we've been able to find
players to step up and deliver at different times. And
I think you know, we've seen us reach another final
(07:38):
of an ICC Pinnacle event, so the performance itself doesn't
appear to be dropping off and we seem to be
sustaining a really good standard of cricket across the format.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
So that's that's what we're hoping to do moving forward.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Aspirational too, because the younger players coming through go well,
actually we'll loft a couple off the top. I fancy
bagged myself a contract. I have a chance, so it
does provide them with opportunity. What do these guys get
paid in off the top of your head, in the top.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Twenty, I roughly know what they get paid. Yeah, I
think those numbers are publicly available somewhere. But look they're
pretty handsomely played. But certainly the guys in the IPL
are even more so handsomely paid, so a lot, there's
definitely the money probably doesn't compete with what these other
leagues are getting paid. And the reality is some of
(08:26):
these top guys are probably missing out on a lot
of money continuing to play for New Zealand where they
could make more elsewhere. But it's certainly there's plenty of
different options out there for players these days.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
And one last thing, and when players do decide to
opt out of a New Zealand contract, then it comes
to a big selection like the T twenty I at
World Cup. Do you favor essentially contract players, do you
give them a couple of points an advantage or is
it just purely formed.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Son No, when we come to a pinnacle event, that
is solely we really are required to pick the best
team that we think will help us compete best, so
help us win that.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
So look we're contracting side of it.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
That more comes into consideration when we're in bilateral type
series and this is one of those. But we've decided
that this is part of our preparation towards the T
twenty World Cup and we need to start shaping that squad,
so we have reintroduced some of those un contracted players.
I think it's worth noting that that Tim Seifert and
(09:27):
James Nishan, you know, weren't offered New Zealand contracts, they
didn't turn one down, that they've opted not to take
up a domestic contract, So they're in slightly different basket
to the type likes of Fin who was offered a
New Zealand contract but we elsewhere, So yeah, there's certainly
each player is in a slightly bespoked situation, and that's
(09:49):
why it's not that simple to make a blanket rule
for everyone.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
For more from sports talk, listen lived and news Talks.
They'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB, Tim Pastor seven.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Let's hit it with Sam Wells. New Zealander Cricket Selector
squad has been that name to take on Pakistan and
a home T twenty I series gets in the way
on Sunday in christ Church at two pm. The squad
has been released. There are a number of players who
won't be playing because of commitments to the IPL and
a couple of boys that will be playing on men
(00:36):
that will be playing attempting to push their way into
the selection frame ahead of that big tournament. On all
of that, we're joined now by Sam Wells and Zyland
Cricket Selector.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Good evening, Sam, Hi, Darcy, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, very very good. Michael Brace will beast who perform
so well in the Hick Champions Trophy final he gets
captain the black Caps on home series. There is a
five game T twenty ice series coming up against Pakistan.
A lot of considerations in this series and a few
play back from the outer which I like to start
(01:09):
with that, and let's look at some of those guys
I like to have ciphered a Nisan and Allen what
considerations around their selection considering they haven't got central contracts.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Yeah, look, there's a few moving parts, so it all.
I suppose, First of all, we've.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Now gone past the champions Trophy and in the horizon
is another ICIC Pinnacle event being the T twenty World
Cup in India, which is now less than twelve months away,
So I focused with the T twenty team shifts to that,
and we're really focused on having good preparation and build
up for all of the ICC events and this is
no different. So we've been in talks with these players
(01:47):
for the last month or six weeks or so to
get their commitment for all our twenty fixtures if selected
for the next year and build up and they've committed
to that. So while they aren't centrally contracted, if they've
committed to the T twenty preparation that we consider as
required and we're really pleased to get that. Look, these
guys have really emphasized with us that their priority is
(02:10):
still playing cricket for New Zealand and that's what they
want to do. They've come back and all three of
them have played for trophy and then put good performances
on the board.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So yeah, look, it's just.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Working with the players and lining up you know, a
good preparation and that's really what it's all about.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So we're really happy where we've landed.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Basically, they've said if we get BBL contracts or South
African T twenty contracts, we won't be picking them up
because they can't, can they if they've committed to you
and they want to get picked for that World Cup.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
Essentially, yeah, they've said that they'll commit to all of
our T twenty games if selected.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Look, and it's about.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Giving them, you know, enough time and communication to work
through whatever deals they have in place.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
But essentially, yeah, they've committed to all the games that
we have.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
New Zealand Cricket have been very fluid in this space
and I think it's the most pragmatic way to handle.
How does that work from a selection point of view
when you're dealing with a number of different contracts or
lack their role? Is that tricky?
Speaker 4 (03:16):
It's not too tricky, like it's just trying to get
everyone together and the ground away for But you're right,
we've got to be a little bit pragmatic. But the
world of cricket is changing. We accept for example, in
this window, you know has been accepted for some time
that players, if they get an IPL.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Deal, they go go and do that.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Equally, you know some players are going to make a
decision to go and not taking New Zealand contract in
playoffs where because the financial rewards you know, make sense
for them at that time of their career or whatever
it is. But if we can find a ground where
when we're lining up for a particular event, if we're
satisfied all we can get an appropriate bur up and
(03:53):
commitment from the players, then I think we'd be silly
to not work with them to try and make that
work because it's in the interests of both the team
and the player.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
So the players that have been selected, and there are
some I would say outside it's but some people that
line is close to the core team mist I'm sure
they'd like to be because they're still early in their careers.
This is all about keeping all of your options open
in giving players international experience with no promises here.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Yeah, I think the way in particularly this particular.
Speaker 4 (04:21):
Window, when the IPIPL players are away, we're naturally going
to have to dig a bit deeper into the depth,
and that presents more opportunities for guys, and that's happened
for some time for a number of years now. So yeah,
this particular window gives guys chances. But we see where
guys perform, well, then you know they're then pushing their
place in the main squad.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
And for example, I think Jacob.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Duffy did that really well when given his opportunities recently
and with injury, broke his way into the Champions Trophy squad.
Now he's again here in the T twenty squad. So
look these when these opportunities presented, if players can take them,
that they'll find themselves with more opportunities in the future.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
In the case of Kane Williamson, Samuels joins us SO
and he's in on cricket select a city, he's unavailable,
Where does he sit in the profile over the next
year around his commitments or even conversations have had with
him about where he would like to be, because I'm
sure if he's available and fit, he'll pick him in
an instant, won't you. So one of those conversations being.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Like Samkin's a bit of a series by series at
the moment, and this is just one of the ones
where he's had a big workload, been away overseas for
a couple of months now and we're just managing him
serious by series and.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Those are obviously decisions he'll make.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
If Cain, you know, wants to play, he'll obviously come
into serious consideration and so we'll just had to play
that by you and see how he is going moving forward.
But he's still playing a bit of franchise T twenty
cricket around and I'm sure he still in a while.
I hope he still wants to play for New Zealand
moving forward, but it's he's just at that stage of
(05:58):
the career where he's picking and choosing a bit to
manage his workload.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
But we'll just have to see how that goes moving forward.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
But in turn he will have to be available for
India and Afghanistan those two series in the lead up
to the ten twenty I World Cup next year.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Yeah, that's new Zeon Krouget's position at the stage.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Sam just and leaving. I'm really interested to know about
the central contracting system and the way that operates, because
when you get to the top I suppose of that
and you start signing deals to play away and play
overseas and you forego that central contract system. I'm presuming
that just opens up at the bottom for more of
(06:37):
a pathway, which might be a positive unintended consequence of
some of these senior players opting out.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
I suppose there's two discrete things they're one is the
playing opportunities, and two is the contract itself. The contract
is sort of a snapshot in time of when we
have to rank players and allocate points, and then that
spits out of ranking and they get off at a contract,
But that's no guarantee of selection moving forward. But yeah,
if players are ofvailable due to playing elsewhere, obviously that
(07:09):
opens up playing commitments or playing opportunity sorry for others.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
And yes, sometimes you do.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Discover some players that you'd like to have a further
look at, like Tim Robinson and mitcha are a couple
that you've noted there. So yeah, I think I think
there's some really pleasing depth there. And we've obviously lost
a few really experienced, you know, high quality New Zealand
players in recent times, but we've been able to find
players to step up and deliver at different times. And
I think you know, we've seen us reach another final
(07:38):
of an ICC Pinnacle event, so the performance itself doesn't
appear to be dropping off and we seem to be
sustaining a really good standard of cricket across the format.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
So that's that's what we're hoping to do moving forward.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Aspirational too, because the younger players coming through go well,
actually we'll loft a couple off the top. I fancy
bagged myself a contract. I have a chance, so it
does provide them with opportunity. What do these guys get
paid in off the top of your head, in the top.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
Twenty, I roughly know what they get paid. Yeah, I
think those numbers are publicly available somewhere. But look they're
pretty handsomely played. But certainly the guys in the IPL
are even more so handsomely paid, so a lot, there's
definitely the money probably doesn't compete with what these other
leagues are getting paid. And the reality is some of
(08:26):
these top guys are probably missing out on a lot
of money continuing to play for New Zealand where they
could make more elsewhere. But it's certainly there's plenty of
different options out there for players these days.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
And one last thing, and when players do decide to
opt out of a New Zealand contract, then it comes
to a big selection like the T twenty I at
World Cup. Do you favor essentially contract players, do you
give them a couple of points an advantage or is
it just purely formed.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Son No, when we come to a pinnacle event, that
is solely we really are required to pick the best
team that we think will help us compete best, so
help us win that.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
So look we're contracting side of it.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
That more comes into consideration when we're in bilateral type
series and this is one of those. But we've decided
that this is part of our preparation towards the T
twenty World Cup and we need to start shaping that squad,
so we have reintroduced some of those un contracted players.
I think it's worth noting that that Tim Seifert and
(09:27):
James Nishan, you know, weren't offered New Zealand contracts, they
didn't turn one down, that they've opted not to take
up a domestic contract, So they're in slightly different basket
to the type likes of Fin who was offered a
New Zealand contract but we elsewhere, So yeah, there's certainly
each player is in a slightly bespoked situation, and that's
(09:49):
why it's not that simple to make a blanket rule
for everyone.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
For more from sports talk, listen lived and news Talks.
They'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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