2nd Test: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Hamilton on Dec 18-22, 2015

[Incorrect]

McCullum has announced he's retiring from all international cricket at the end of the home summer.

Be interesting to see how he's remembered

I'll remember him as someone who played the game exactly as it should be played - he played it tough but fair, always gave it 100% but most importantly played the game to his strengths. Sure he might have looked like he gave away his wicket on occasions (the dismissal in the WC final and even his 2nd innings dismissal last weekend) but those kinds of swashbuckling shots were only ever an attempt to stamp his and his teams authority and/or identity on the contest in that moment, where a bold momentum changing innings could have gone a long way towards winning the game.... Many times it worked, sometimes it didn't, but it was never selfishly motivated.

Well played Mr McCullum.

 

[JJ]

I'll remember him as someone who played the game exactly as it should be played - he played it tough but fair, always gave it 100% but most importantly played the game to his strengths. Sure he might have looked like he gave away his wicket on occasions (the dismissal in the WC final and even his 2nd innings dismissal last weekend) but those kinds of swashbuckling shots were only ever an attempt to stamp his and his teams authority and/or identity on the contest in that moment, where a bold momentum changing innings could have gone a long way towards winning the game.... Many times it worked, sometimes it didn't, but it was never selfishly motivated.

Well played Mr McCullum.

Well said

 

[Iafeta]

Three doubles. India 2010 as opener, India in NZ 2014 (and a tripple) and Pakistan in UAE 2014. That Pakistan seam attack was ordinary. No Riaz, J Khan, I Khan, Amir, Asif or even Irfan. It was Rahat Ali (ordinary at best, I think he's useless) and Mo Talha (useless no name). Yasir Shah and Zulfiqur Barbar played, though. He was brutal on them. Rained 6s. Had his problems with getting out to seamers with his aggression, but less so with spinners. Just hit them off their length to bowling defensive darts or out of the attack.

21% of his test dismissals were to left arm spin they said in the last test. That's an inordinate amount. I think his preference was actually pace.

 

[Iafeta]

The really interesting thing now is who can stake a claim for his #5 slot? A lot of options I guess...

1) You could look to move Guptill to 5 to play the strokemaker role, and put a Brownlie, Jeet Raval type into open
2) Michael Bracewell
3) Another name I've heard, he has a fair record and a lot of experience but has never really seemed to be touted for it, Stephen Murdoch
4) Do you stay aggressive and put Colin Munro in? Outstanding first class record, but question marks over his test abilities
5) Do you convert either Jimmy Neesham or Corey Anderson into batsmen who occasionally bowl? They both have played big innings already
6) Henry Nichols
7) One of the CD boys - Ben Smith is going well, Will Young sounds like a good young talent, and Tom Bruce has started his first class career very nicely - is it because McLean Park is somewhat of a road though?
8) Do you bring in Ronchi? I wouldn't personally, but he did have a good test debut in terms of his batting

There seems a few options, personally I think Michael Bracewell has a lot of potential.

 

[JJ]

The really interesting thing now is who can stake a claim for his #5 slot? A lot of options I guess...

1) You could look to move Guptill to 5 to play the strokemaker role, and put a Brownlie, Jeet Raval type into open
2) Michael Bracewell
3) Another name I've heard, he has a fair record and a lot of experience but has never really seemed to be touted for it, Stephen Murdoch
4) Do you stay aggressive and put Colin Munro in? Outstanding first class record, but question marks over his test abilities
5) Do you convert either Jimmy Neesham or Corey Anderson into batsmen who occasionally bowl? They both have played big innings already
6) Henry Nichols
7) One of the CD boys - Ben Smith is going well, Will Young sounds like a good young talent, and Tom Bruce has started his first class career very nicely - is it because McLean Park is somewhat of a road though?
8) Do you bring in Ronchi? I wouldn't personally, but he did have a good test debut in terms of his batting

There seems a few options, personally I think Michael Bracewell has a lot of potential.

Guptill's a poor player of pace, and an abysmal player of spin - shouldn't be in the side at all, but would be worse at 5 imo

Smith and Young look the best to me, from what I have seen of Nichols he looks decent too - you Popli from ND could be there soon., and some good young players from Auckland - O'Donnell, Hicks, Phillips in a few years too. Not sure what there is to like in Bracewell, looks bog average every time I have seen him

If Smith is seen solely as an opener he has a problem as there is some severe man lub about for Guptill and Rurtherford - but he'd be the one I'd go for in tests

 

[ANTiLAG]

21% of his test dismissals were to left arm spin they said in the last test. That's an inordinate amount. I think his preference was actually pace.

With all due respect, you are one of my favourite posters on here, but that stat reveals nothing useful. Except suggesting a lot of games against left arm spinners of which Bangladesh is quite notorious. That 21% could still be where he averages 40 or 45.

You need a "runs per dismissal for pace average";

Then compare that to a

"runs per dismissal for spin average?"

Furthermore, he has taken very average Indian and Sri Lankan seamers apart in New Zealand for big scores. The issue is not solely seam vs spin, its his record as against quality seam bowling.

He is very much an Asian basher to up his average. It is undeniable. Even his Pakistan runs came against Rahat Ali and some no name Mo Tahla. He destroyed their quality spinners in Zalfiqur and Shah in the process, however. He has a good record against quality spinners with that and his Indian, Bangladesh and Sri Lankan runs.