I was loathed to start this blog with a classic Kiwi moan, but watching the Kiwi cricketers capitulate on what is by all accounts a good batting surface (just ask the inexperienced new Aussie wicket keeper), it’s pretty dammed obvious that the out going New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell should be taking a very long holiday away from New Zealand after this test.
Quite simply we are embarrassing, and this is coming from someone who is a staunch defender of NZ Cricket (the pool of players we have to choose from always means we have to punch well above our weight). I like the team we have, but not the order, but for whatever reason these guys have been taught the skill of surrendering wickets too bloody easy.
To say the papers weren’t too kind over the weekend was an understatement, and that was when the team was still showing some pride. Take for instance Michael Donaldson’s comments in the Sunday Star Times
“I’ll leave the niceties to others, but for me John Bracewell is the man who has presided over New Zealand’s swan dive towards the empty swimming pool which is the bottom of cricket’s test world rankings.”
He’s not wrong, when Bracewell took over the squad we were third in the world, that’s right third!!! Now we are to be 8th, and that’s only just above Bangladesh. I disagree with Donaldson’s assumption that One Day Cricket will be meaningless soon, I just can’t see that happening, so to still be in the top 4 for this is good.
Somehow, whoever is in charge of the players and their harvesting their abilities at test level (which ultimately must be the coach), has managed to set in motion the processes which could see the ruin of many a potentially great player. Lets just hope that the next coach puts a premium on players not giving away their wickets, no matter what version of the game they are playing.
