New Zealand vs Afghanistan Test Preview
New Zealand's Blackcaps will play Afghanistan in India early in September and while this may appear like a warm up for World Test Championship fixtures in Sri Lanka then India, Afghanistan present an intriguing challenge for a Blackcap group who need to win some games. The squad for this Test vs Afghanistan will roll into the tour of Sri Lanka and there weren't any crazy selections as Blackcaps continue to refresh their Test group with young talent.
The big headline about this squad revolved around Tim Southee as captain. Putting Southee's dip in Test bowling form last summer aside, Southee is a swing bowler who hovers around 130km/h on a good day and that isn't aligned with Southee being locked in as a 1st 11 cricketer for Tests in Asia. Instead of if being dramatic that Southee may miss a Test or two of this Asia Adventure, it would have been more bonkers for Southee to play every Test of the Asia Adventure just because he is captain.
Regardless of whether you view this as a positive or negative, New Zealand do not have an inspirational leader with excessive mana to drive performances. The last Blackcaps captain who had that mana was Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes serves as a strong example of a Test captain who sets the tone for his team. Kane Williamson is more kiwi buddha than passionate leader and Blackcaps were relatively successful with Williamson's leadership style.
No cricketer, man or woman, in Aotearoa is so good at being captain that they demand 1st 11 selection as captains. Tom Latham is next in line to be captain when (not if) Southee isn't playing and both lads have Williamson helping out, giving Blackcaps a captaincy committee. Will Young and Michael Bracewell sit outside the 1st 11 for the Afghanistan Test, both have captained their respective domestic teams as well. Add in experienced cricketers Matt Henry, Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway and Ajaz Patel for extra layers of guidance.
It seems likely that Will O'Rourke or Ben Sears will get a crack against Afghanistan alongside Matt Henry in the seam department. Henry is the best Blackcaps seamer right now so he has earned a starting spot and the exciting thing about O'Rourke/Sears is that they both offer skills that can be useful in Asian conditions; both are taller than most, hover around 140km/h and have variations.
Seam movement may not be as prominent against Afghanistan, although O'Rourke has shown throughout his young career that he nibbles the ball both ways with steep bounce. Sears is better equipped with variations and his hectic style could be ideal to rough up batters when the spinners need a break. O'Rourke is the best option based on his mahi last summer to partner Henry and the two seamer/four spin option mix could be rolled out for each Test unless conditions favour seam.
In the period since the start of the tour of Bangladesh (six Tests vs Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia), New Zealand has four bowlers averaging under 18 and seven averaging under 24. Henry, O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner are all under 18avg with Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel under 24avg (Kyle Jamieson is the other under 24avg). That's the best bowling unit right there for the Test against Afghanistan.
The need for Michael Bracewell's offies has decreased with Phillips commanding a 1st 11 role. Bracewell hasn't snapped up his Test opportunities, averaging 19.9 with the bat and 41.7 with the ball, but he has a wicket in all eight Tests he's played with at least three wickets in five Tests. As Blackcaps skew younger with selections, solid cricketers like Bracewell are handy squad members who can cover various roles with maturity.
The younger lads have all snapped up their opportunities which is fabulous for Aotearoa cricket. Bracewell is joined by Will Young in not quite demanding consistent selection, even though Young has battled through niggly opportunities as a Test opener. The importance of Young not piling up runs in Test cricket yet is amplified by rather drastic batting slumps for Devon Conway and Tom Blundell.
Blundell is the main wicket-keeper in this squad so he will play against Afghanistan, however pressure is building. This is Blundell's second year of Test batting (seven years) with a batting average below 15 and in the period since November 1st 2023, Blundell is averaging 9.8. At least Blundell is a wicket-keeper and as long as he showcases that he is the best wicket-keeper in Aotearoa, runs should find Blundell at some stage.
Conway will also get a 1st 11 nod against Afghanistan. Conway's average of 11.75 since November 1st 2023 is the same as his average this year and if that isn't alarming enough, his strike-rate of 35.8 stretching back to the tour of Bangladesh is an example of how Conway has slipped since his emergence. Conway and Blundell are the only Blackcaps batters without a 50+ score since November 1st 2023; at least Blundell's having some kind of whack down the order with 60.1sr.
Latham and Mitchell haven't been near their best either, which along with Conway gives Blackcaps a hefty hole in their batting unit. Luckily for these three, the rise of Ravindra and Phillips hasn't hindered their game time, while Young hasn't demanded selection either. None of this is likely to impact the 1st 11 for the Afghanistan Test, which could look like this...
Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel, Will O'Rourke
(Will Young, Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee, Ben Sears)
This will be a crucial Test for Blackcaps as a series sweep defeat against Australia was followed by a series sweep defeat in T20Is against Australia, then a drawn T20I series in Pakistan and the horrible T20 World Cup for New Zealand ... and Pakistan. Individuals need runs and wickets to keep their place in the team, let alone the squad. Blackcaps are in a zone where every Test is important from a team and individual perspective.
One positive note is that the best Blackcaps Test players in recent times have been Williamson, Henry and youngsters. Ravindra and Phillips have earned steady 1st 11 opportunities purely through runs and wickets, while O'Rourke has started his Test career in similar fashion to Kyle Jamieson. Blackcaps have already pivoted towards younger players and they have emerged as the best players, now the Test team needs the majority of the 1st 11 operating at a higher level than they have been.
Join the Niche Cache Patreon whanau to support our kiwi sports content straight up, get a karma boost and find extra podcasts. You can also Buy Me A Coffee to show your support.
Every Monday and Friday we fire off an email newsletter with bonus content. Sign up here!
Peace and love.