Andy Moles, moles and raincoats
Who said this? "I do worry about the fact that they've called up Daniel Vettori, our captain, our best batsman and our best bowler to now take on the role of a selector. It's going to be a heavy workload for him and I worry about the burnout factor."
And who said this? "This is Dan's team, he needs to be given room to run things. No coach, no vice-captain. He's stated he only sees himself captaining for three or four years. He's a resilient guy, he doesn't need anyone except for a very good manager."
I will give you a clue. The same bloke - Martin Crowe. So which is it?
Nobody really knows what goes on behind the dressing room door, except certain journalists who get leaked information from the sieve that is the NZ Cricket post-tour review process. The Dominion Post's assertion that certain staff alongside the team and at NZC's very own High Performance Centre also had issues with the national coach was a particularly interesting little revelation. So if the leak didn't come from the players...
German allrounder Albert Einstein is quoted regularly on the Sideline Slogger, with reverence not as a peer, and he was right that it is insane to keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect different results.
Credit should be given for the desire to make a change - the point seems be that Daniel Vettori has been "picking up the slack" over the past few months and those in and around the team have noticed this, and not even the terrific hat-trick of wins engineered in South Africa has alleviated concerns. By the same token, if Vettori was captain-coaching-cooking-batting-bowling-selecting for the side in Sri Lanka, the results were not deemed good enough by himself and others for such an arrangement to continue ad infinitum.
Martin Tasker and Sean Plunket's interviews with Steve Rixon on TV1 and Radio NZ are well worth a look and listen respectively. "Why am I keen...right now is a very appropriate time to have a look at where NZ cricket's going and what we can do for it."
*******************
Anorak attack imminent. As New Zild heads for the sand and sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates, I thought it would be worth running a few numbers to check in on who our best ODI performers have been in 2009:
Wood
Highest average: James Franklin 63.00; Peter McGlashan 63.00; Martin Guptill 44.27; Grant Elliott, 42.25.
Most runs: Guptill 664; Ross Taylor 587; Brendon McCullum 522; Elliott, 507.
Best strike rate: Tim Southee 148; McGlashan 124; Brendon Diamanti 118; Jesse Ryder 101.
Highest scores: Guptill 122*; Elliott 115; Ryder 105.
Most bats: Taylor 20; McCullum 20; Guptill 18; Elliott 17.
Most 50s: Taylor 5; Guptill 5.
Most ducks: McCullum 3.
Most sixes: Guptill 13, McCullum 13, Ryder 13, Taylor 12.
Most fours: Guptill 57; Taylor 49; McCullum 45; Ryder 40.
Leather
Lowest average: Mark Gillespie 20.25; Daryl Tuffey 25.20; Kyle Mills 27.17
Most wickets: Mills 29; Daniel Vettori 19; Iain O'Brien 13; Ian Butler 10.
Best strike rate: Gillespie 22.50; Tuffey 32.00; O'Brien 32.08.
Best economy: Vettori 4.13; Shane Bond 4.56; Mills 4.84.
Best bowling: Vettori 4/20; Elliott 4/31; Mills 4/35; Butler 4/44.
Most overs: Mills 162 overs; Vettori 139; Southee 81.
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Of the three options, Wright, Fleming and Rixon, I would go for Rixon. I am not sure Wright really does want the job. Fleming is an option for later, but not now, he should still be playing, not coaching, also as he manages McCullum, Franklin and a couple of others, he is conflicted.
Gillespie stacks up surprisingly well in those stats. If Guptill can transfer some of his one day form to tests, he's going to be a huge player for us. Gotta watch out for that difficult sophomore international year (after the video footage has had time to be thoroughly dissected by every international side, perhaps?), though...
I expect Vettori to shortly create a new form of the game that grows even more popular than 20/20. Then he'll invent 4 new types of spin delivery, single-handedly rejuvenate interest in test cricket, and finally be turned into a constellation by Zeus.
The most astonishing stats there are Mark Gillespie's! Lowest average, best strike rate - I didn't see that coming.
Personally I'm a bit cautious on the whole 'bring back Rixon' campaign. A step backwards? Not sure what the solution is though: would love to see John Wright coach the team but he clearly isn't into it. Has anyone else given thought to Flem as a player-coach? He could be the Kenny Dalglish of NZ cricket!
Ben & Andy - Gillespie only had 2 games vs WI in Jan 09, including 4/58 off 10 so somewhat like McGlashan's batting average, not really representative of the player's ability.
I think one of the most telling stats there is (I'm pretty sure) those were the only 3 centuries in 20 matches. None for the two senior top order batsmen (McCullum and Taylor).
I really can't see NZC re-appointing Rixon, Wright may be used in home series but doesn't want to tour...
I wonder if Shane Warne would be interested?
Stef, Rixon would be great as he would be working with a whole new breed of players so I don't think it would be a step back. It would be a step forward in terms of getting the best out of what is diffinitly a talented bunch of cricketers. Sad to hear of Eddy's demise...LOL!
I think we should go and ask Steve Waugh if he would please come and be involved with the New Zealand setup. The man had the attitude and the grit that some of our batsmen could use.
Maybe get Wasim Akram in as a bowling coach as well, we could learn how to bowl (and play) reverse swing...
On a more serious note though, I'm a supporter of Wright as coach, but I dont think he'll take the job. Whoever we get though, they need to add something to the side, and have demonstrated success. John Buchanon?
I'm pretty sure John Buchanan would never even consider NZ, we couldnt stuff his wallet enough. Seems inevitable that well either get a NZer, Dermot Reeve or a Aussie trying to establish himself (or one like Rixon who has had a lay off). Don't want a NZer though, we dont have a good sporting culture, need a hard ass from aussie that expects results. Rixon wouldn't be bad, but hed need some good support and technical staff, hes better at fixing attitude problems.
@ slick... actually I think I'm being swayed back into camp Rixon. I actually felt a little bit inspired listening to him speak on Radio NZ.
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Interesting stats, they make fascinating reading...
Tying in your Steve Rixon thoughts with the stats lets have a look here:
Highest scores: Guptill 122*; Elliott 115; Ryder 105.
...and then here:
Most runs: Guptill 664; Ross Taylor 587; Brendon McCullum 522; Elliott, 507.
I wonder if those guys above would benefit from a Steve Rixon regime? The answer is absolutely yes. It's also interesting to see our debutant-of-the-year in Guptill leading the pack in both batting statistics. What a future that guy has if he can keep it up, he's gives me a very Astle-like vibe in his approach to the game and his style.