Strange sounds of silence from Black Caps

BY JONATHAN MILLMOW IN NAPIER

The captain is on a day off and the new coach is not talking.

It might only be Bangladesh, but the country would like to hear from someone of importance.

Shane Jurgensen is wheeled out. Who, you might ask?

He played for Queensland and still looks fit enough to take the new ball. Been with the New Zealand cricket team a year or so as its bowling coach – but never been paraded before the media on the eve of a one-day international. Strange times.

Daniel Vettori has been spared the hot afternoon sun. No-one would argue with that, except today's 50-over opponents Bangladesh at McLean Park in Napier.

Jacob Oram probably wants to concentrate on his cricket, but finds himself fielding questions about why New Zealand are tiptoeing around the touchy topics such as the hatchet job on former vice-captain Brendon McCullum and dreaded player power.

Oram has been in the news lately.

He, Jamie How and Bevan Griggs took the bull by the horns at Central Districts a week or so back and demanded the removal of their coach, Dermot Reeve. Won, too, it seems.

Oram has joined the media as host of a TV cricket show but today the answers do not roll off the tongue.

Even the players seem at sixes and sevens as to the hierarchy in New Zealand's latest bid to get the management team right.

John Bracewell rubbed people up the wrong way, Andy Moles went into his shell and could not be coaxed out and now Greatbatch comes in without being in charge.

"Batch has only been here a couple of days," Oram says.

"I turned up on Monday and we played Wednesday, so it's only been a very short start for Batch, but Dan takes care of the stuff on the field and so far he has, I wouldn't say run the meetings, but it was pretty much as it was when I was in the team in Dubai [November]."

So Vettori runs the meetings?

"I wouldn't say Dan is running the meetings, we've only had one and it was a combination, so it is still far too early to make any conclusions from what I've seen."

The word is that Wright was interviewed for the job by Vettori and chief executive Justin Vaughan but the skipper was set on Greatbatch after developing chemistry with him over the past couple of months.

Overlooking Wright is a terrible mistake, a public relations gaffe and a victory for player power. Wright is easy-going on the outside and tough as teak on the inside; perhaps too tough for the current era.

On the evidence of yesterday, Greatbatch is going to be a background coach.

Positive thoughts about Wright should not be misconstrued as negatives against Greatbatch. He, too, brings an upside, having played with undeniable passion and remains closely connected to sharp cricket brains Martin Crowe and Ian Smith.

Asked to define where he thinks Greatbatch currently fits in, Oram says: "As far as I am aware, he is the head coach with a focus on batting."

Oram has had to develop a thick skin because of injury and a form slump with the bat, so the latest unrest does not unduly bother him.

"There are a lot of perceptions the public have of us and individuals, to be fair.

"At the moment things are going fine, Dan is such a good leader and Batch is so new to the job.

"I'm sure after a while he will find his feet and stamp his mark."

As for the game today, Oram expects Bangladesh to take fewer risks with the bat after being rolled for 78 in the Twenty20 on Wednesday.

Cricket officials will be hoping Oram's right because, if the tour starts with two strikes, they'll be opening the gates by the time they reach football-mad Christchurch for the third one-day international on Thursday.

New Zealand have one change in their 12 from the Twenty20 squad, with Neil Broom in for Gareth Hopkins.

HOW THEY LINE UP

Teams for the 50-over one-day international between New Zealand and Bangladesh at McLean Park in Napier, starting at 2pm today

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain) Brendon McCullum, Peter Ingram, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Neil Broom, James Franklin, Jacob Oram, Ian Butler, Daryl Tuffey, Tim Southee, Andy McKay.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (vice-capt/wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Raqibul Hasan, Mahmudullah, Aftab Ahmed, Naeem Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Nazmul Hossain, Shafiul Islam.

TAB: New Zealand $1.10, Bangladesh $6
Weather: Fine, 21C

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