Any surprises for the tour of New Zealand?

 
Brett McKay Columnist

By , 16 Feb 2010 Brett McKay is a Roar Expert

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New Zealand bowler Chris Martin (2nd left) reacts after dismissing Australian batsman Andrew Symonds. AP Image/Dave Hunt

New Zealand bowler Chris Martin (2nd left) reacts after dismissing Australian batsman Andrew Symonds. AP Image/Dave Hunt

Despite the rugby season kicking off on Friday night, and even though all this debate (and I use the word loosely) about the supposed death of the 50 over game is, frankly, boring me to tears, I am determined to press on writing about cricket for the time being.

But given I’m not likely to win any fans while trying to find positives in the current one-day series against the West Indies, I’m turning my attention to Australia’s tour of New Zealand in March.

It’s the epitome of the modern cricket tour, this month-long excursion across the Ditch: two Twenty20 and five One-Day Internationals out of the way early, and then two back-to-back Tests. In football season.

It’ll bring back the crowds, for sure.

So then, can we expect any selection surprises? Well, no, probably not.

Such is the lottery of the T20 game sometimes, the touring squad might as well be the first eleven Australian cricketers to pass Customs at Wellington airport. In reality, it’ll be the same side that played Pakistan the other week, and who have two more games against the Windies next week.

Even the team for the one-dayers will be largely the same as what’s currently on show. I would give serious thought to Brad Haddin delaying his departure by a week or so, and playing Tim Paine in the first few outings, but Haddin will probably come straight back in.

One guy I do think would be worthy of inclusion in a probable 13- or 14-man squad is young New South Wales all-rounder Steven Smith. We’ve already seen a little of him in national colours this summer, and truth be told, I thought we would have seen in the one-dayers already.

On the low, slow decks in New Zealand though, Smith is surely worth a punt. His leg-spin is certainly on the improve, and wouldn’t look out of place in tandem with Nathan Hauritz. Smith more than holds his own as a lower-order plunderer of runs, and his sharp fielding is fuelled by the enthusiasm and speed of youth.

Of course, should this come through and Smith does remain for the ODIs, it means he’ll have to forego all or part of his freshly-signed IPL contract with Bangalore. That obviously wouldn’t be a concern of the national selectors – you’d hope – and indeed, the reasons for them picking Smith would be the same as what made Smith an IPL target.

Plus, New Zealand themselves have built their one-day side around three and four pretty handy all-rounders over the years, so I guess there’s also an element of fighting fire with fire behind including Smith. Furthermore, he’d be a better long-term prospect than what Adam Voges is currently offering.

For the two Tests, I’m again not expecting any real surprises. But there will be at least one forced change from the Hobart Test, with Peter Siddle ruled out of cricket for upwards of five months due to stress fractures in his back. And this could be where it gets interesting.

I would expect a Test squad of no more than 13 players. For only two Tests, there’s no real need to take a squad bigger than that, and even in the worst-case scenario, a replacement can always been flown in from home should injury strike.

The current Test team, minus Siddle, will be there. Despite what we may think of the form of certain players, they’re coming off a 5-0 summer. That’s ten of the thirteen then.

Clint McKay was twelfth man for the Pakistan series, and plenty of experts – of both the actual and armchair varieties – are suggesting he should be the man to take Siddle’s place. But I’m not so sure.

McKay has bowled reasonably well in the one-dayers, but in reality, he’s not that much different a bowler to Siddle, and Siddle himself proved over the summer that running in and hitting the deck hard doesn’t always bring the rewards.

On the other hand, Ryan Harris is having the month of his cricketing life, and to disregard such irresistible form with the ball would lack any selection logic. Ignore the colour of his current attire, and that of the ball too, and you’re left with a guy bowling 140km/h-plus outswingers. And if that’s not impressive enough, he’ll pitch them on your front toe for fun. Regularly.

My smokey for the tour has been the subject of an email discussion over the last week with Roar regular and general voice of reason, Greg Russell. Both of us are claiming dibs on the first call for Queensland quick Ben Cutting’s inclusion, resolution of which will have to be for another day (it was me, Greg).

The short of it is that Cutting is the best-performed bowler in the Sheffield Shield by daylight. 33 wickets from 7 matches, and at an average of just over 20, puts him a long way in front of the next-best state seamer, and at 22, he’d be the first of “the next wave” of young quicks putting their hand up. Never mind the future, Cutting is ready to go now.

This leaves me with one spot. Greg had concerns about possible reserve batsmen options, and offered up Michael Klinger, but I’m going to solve that by not taking one. In my mind, Australia will probably need a proper second spinner in New Zealand, rather than a part-timer.

But Marcus North, the guy we’re told is the second spin option, hasn’t bowled in the last three Tests, with Simon Katich being preferred in Melbourne and Hobart.

And so despite still not believing he’s ready for this, Steven Smith has to be the one. Jason Krezja has dropped so far off the radar he’s lost his Tasmanian spot, and there really is no-one else. I honestly think Smith is a good 18 months off being ready for Test cricket, but Cricket Australia have declared him the heir apparent, and unfortunately, the spin cupboard is getting a little bare again.

Of course that means I’ve just killed off Smith’s Indian summer completely. So perhaps that would be the surprise of the New Zealand tour after all.

Follow Brett McKay on Twitter: @BMcSport
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