Analysis – Tim Southee’s leading a ‘futile fight against time’

Sports call – Don’t blame Tim Southee if his winning percentage as New Zealand Test captain ends up among the worst in the team’s history.

New Zealand batsman Michael Bracewell heads back to the dressing roo.
New Zealand Black Caps v England. Day 4 of the first day/night cricket test match at Bay Oval, Tauranga, New Zealand. Feb 19 2023. ( Photo by Andrew Cornaga / Photosport )
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

The 34-year-old spearhead of the Black Caps pace attack is one of just three remaining world class operators in the side, alongside Kane Williamson and Devon Conway.

But in taking over the captaincy, Southee’s been put in on a green one. He’s leading a futile fight against time.

The golden generation which won the Test Championship final against India in June 2021 was the best to have graced the field for New Zealand.

Little more than 18 months on, New Zealand have a vastly different side rolling alarmingly towards the edge of a cliff.

Some of the names and faces remain familiar, but age and form are heading in the wrong direction.

Tim Southee
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Neil Wagner was a world class performer for New Zealand. He turns 37 next month and appears to have lost pace and some of the fire that has sparked his previous performances.

Henry Nicholls, the 31-year-old middle order batter, averaged 43.4 entering the World Test Championship final against India. Since then, he has scored little more than 400 runs across 11 matches, and his average has plummeted to 37.04.

Ross Taylor and BJ Watling have both retired, and then there are the Twenty20 mercenaries.

Colin de Grandhomme’s gone, leaving New Zealand Cricket in prototypical fashion for the all-rounder, without saying a word.

And then there’s Trent Boult.

Having asked out of his New Zealand Cricket central contract, he is now taking home millions on the Twenty20 circuit while keeping one eye on his old black cap.

Technically, Boult is available to play the England test series, but my understanding is New Zealand Cricket will not select him again due to the precedent it would set.

Should they pick Boult, New Zealand Cricket fear other players would then follow suit in ripping up their central contract and hoping to play for their country between Twenty20 gigs.

An exception will be made for the World Cup in India later this year, but that will be the last hurrah for Trent Boult, and New Zealand’s last hope for the golden generation.

Trent Boult
Photo: Allan McKenzie / www.photosport.nz

After then comes the aforementioned cliff, as recent matches have showed.

The best thing about recent games against Pakistan, India, and now England, is a number of bowlers who have been crowing for a chance to prove themselves at international level have been proved to not be good enough.

Blair Tickner (29) is a good domestic cricketer, but he isn’t good enough at international level.

Scott Kuggeleijn (31) is another good domestic cricketer, he also isn’t good enough at international level, and probably shouldn’t have been selected on moral grounds alone.

Neither are young enough to expect improvement. We know what they are, and what they are isn’t quite good enough.

Henry Shipley, Jacob Duffy and Ben Lister got brief chances in Pakistan and India, and despite being slightly younger, none gave an indication they would demand the new ball in years to come.

What comes next then is a huge question mark.

Neil Wagner
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Batting stocks show some promise, with Glenn Phillips (26), Finn Allen (23) and Rachin Ravindra (23) in the mix for the next decade or more.

But unless one of them somehow becomes a world beating bowler as well, how are the Black Caps going to get teams out?

New Zealand could be heading the way of the West Indies, where impressive Twenty20 cricketers emerge but give little to the national team.

I fear a time will come when the Black Caps scrap for Test results against Ireland and Zimbabwe, rather than challenging for World Test Championships and white ball titles.

All this is to say, watch this Black Caps squad while you can.

You may think things are dark now, but just wait for tomorrow.