Kiwis: Flightless for (how) long

The New-Zealand cricket team, over the years, has always been an intriguing group (their wicket-keeper Adam Parore retired at the age of 30 while at his peak and climbed the Everest at the age of 40). An unconventional team that is never taken lightly by the heavy-weights, nor has it ever been tipped to win a major tournament by the bookies. Unlike few international teams that suffer with their catching and fielding despite having world- class batsmen and bowlers on board, the kiwis have never had problems with their on-field skills. They have always fielded a bunch of enthusiastic fielders who have turned matches on their heads by way of their extreme athleticism and top-notch fielding skills.

The kiwis have always been pioneers when it came to on-field (and sometimes the off-field) experiments. In fact it was one of their players Mark Greatbatch who had a pivotal role in what is termed as “taking advantage of the first fifteen overs” tactic , better known as belting the ball during ” power-play” in today’s cricketing lingo. Their off-spinner Dipak Patel, opening the bowling with the new ball in the 1992 World Cup is one of the most unforgettable ploys used in an ODI.

At one point there were reports that the kiwi batsmen would listen to the ‘noisy crowds’ on their head-phones while batting in the nets just so that they get used to the carnival atmosphere in Indian stadiums. As such their think-tank was always miles ahead when it came to the “out-of-the-box” thinking. Also, it’s their sporting culture that gives them a definite edge over the others.

Barring a handful of players that includes the famous all-rounder Sir. Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe and the more recent Cairns (Chris), Bonds and Vettories, the kiwi outfit has hardly had the luxury of playing any stars in their ranks. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. After the exit of Martin Crowe and a few other senior players like Greatbatch and the unsuccessful experiment with rookie Lee-Germon as Test Captain, Stephen Fleming took over the captaincy in 1997. If at all New-Zealand had some presence in international cricket between 1997-2007, a major chunk of the credit could be attributed to this man, who captained them in 3 world cups during his tenure.

Although it’s a little harsh to ignore the fact that Fleming scored more than 15000 international runs, it’s common notion that it was his contribution as a captain that mattered more to the kiwis than his batting ability or his “as safe as a house” hands in slips. Fleming made sure that the team members gelled well and formed a tough unit.

At a point where the Australians were virtually unbeatable at home in the VB series, it was Fleming’s tactful field placings that saw the likes of accomplished batsmen like Damien Martyn, Steve Waugh, Michael Bevan returning to the hut like clueless-schoolboys surprised by pro-tactics. Under Fleming there was always precise game-plans, specific plans for each player in the opposition, some as simple as fielding two gullys for Damien Martyn, while bowling wide outside off, and holding on to those square-cuts that he usually played in the air, resulting in his fall (which would have been less likely with a single gully).

Given these positives, it’s a little hard to swallow that the New-zealanders haven’t had much success at the highest level compared to their less endowed (atleast w.r.t. fielding) counterparts. Their lone big win till date was when they won the Champions Trophy in 1998. We have always wondered as to what this team of zealous players lacked, which resulted in ordinary performances. Chris Cairns, the genuine all-rounder, would’ve liked to do more justice to his talent. There were extraordinary fielders like Lou Vincent who would’ve wanted to contribute more with the bat, big hitters like Astle and Mc Milan who would’ve taken New Zealand cricket to higher levels had they been more consistent and dependable.

So, where does New-Zealand cricket go from here ? We have seen a few of their youngsters perform at the recent U-19 World Cup, taking a few stunning catches and competing well. Probably they need to realize the importance of getting their basics right along with their unconventional tactics, in order to take New-Zealand cricket to new heights.