New Zealand cricket’s outgoing coach John Wright hit out at the national team’s batsmen following Kiwis’ flop show in West Indies. According to Wright, who is also a former India coach, the New Zealand batsmen have to be accountable for their on-field actions. And the outgoing coach has a very valid point. A closer observation of New Zealand’s performance during the series will tell you that the batsmen had a major role to play in the visitors’ downfall during the series. No New Zealand batsman managed to score in excess of 200 runs in five ODIs combined while only Martin Guptill was among the runs in the Tests.
The entire series as a whole (Tests, ODIs and T20s combined) was a disaster for New Zealand. And this is not only because they lost in all formats of the game, but because of the ungainly manner in which they went down, and that too against one of lowly-placed teams in the world. Yes, West Indies did have Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in their ranks. But teams have beaten West Indies even with these two men, who are crucial to the fortunes of Windies cricket, in the playing XI. England did it with ease, and Australia did the same with a little more trouble before that.
The worrying aspect for New Zealand is that their shabby performance has forced people to question how good the West Indies are, and whether they are on their way up. The truth, however, is rather bitter. West Indies definitely would be buoyed by the triumph, but they will still struggle when they come across top teams. Yes, the reality is that the Kiwis are no longer the fighting outfit they once used to be. In other words, West Indies cricket isn’t on its way up yet, but New Zealand cricket is definitely on its way down.
The present Kiwi squad does have a few talented players in the form of Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson. But, they still have a long way to go before becoming finished products in international cricket. Guptill, for instance, got two half-centuries in the opening Test, but failed to convert either into a ton. Williamson, on the other hand, is still learning the tricks of the trade. He does have the ability to be New Zealand’s best bat in the future, but his aptitude will decide his future.
Without sounding too harsh, it must be said that New Zealand’s two most experienced batsmen also have been below par. Both Brendon McCullum and skipper Ross Taylor played some stellar knocks over the course of the series. However, when it comes to consistency, one has to give them minus marks. And, unfortunately, this is true not only of this series, but is actually the story of their careers.
If New Zealand are to rise above their dark nights, first and foremost, their batsman need to assume responsibility, as Wright rightly pointed out.
--By A Cricket Analyst
