The Future Pacemen Puzzle

Update: This entry has also been published as a guest post on Sideline Slogger. I sent this over in the hope that a few replies in comments section there might possibly shed some light on the names mentioned below.

While it's the batting that has generally copped most of the criticism that comes NZ's way, much is being made of the state of our bowling stocks after the attack struggled for impact during the Australia series.

Things seemed pretty good at the start of the summer, when the Pakistanis arrived. In Shane Bond there was a genuine spearhead, Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien suddenly seemed twice as dangerous in the role of support bowlers, and Vettori was significantly less burdened. Since then, Bond has quit test cricket, O'Brien moved to England, and Martin has gone completely off the boil. Among the rest, only Tim Southee and (to a lesser extent) Brent Arnel have made strides in the positive direction.

It looks like Ricky Ponting's suggestion is the right one, and the only option we have; to build the attack around Southee. But over the next year, the core of the attack is unlikely to change significantly. Daryl Tuffey, James Franklin and Kyle Mills will probably be brought back, plus perhaps Martin if he still has the drive for test cricket.

As for the long-term composition of the pace attack, here's a quick look at some of the names that keep popping up in columns and discussions:

Andy McKay: Left armer who made a fair impression in his opportunities against Bangladesh, generating decent pace and bounce. A foot injury before the Bangladesh test ended his summer, so unfortunately we couldn't get an idea of how he might shape up at the test level or against top-flight opposition.

Mark Gillespie: Was a regular in the one-day side for two seasons, and has played 3 tests to date. Can swing the ball at good pace, though prone to spraying it around. A tally of 11 wickets in his first two tests makes him something of a proven wicket-taker, but an economy rate of 4.41 gives you an idea of why he was discarded. Would have probably figured in the side sometime this season but for a back injury.

Neil Wagner: Much talked-about Otago left armer, who was born in South Africa and now awaiting qualification (which is apparently a year away, I hear). Watched him briefly when Otago appeared in the Champions League T20 last year; he bowls in the mid-130s, and swings it a fair bit. Impressive first-class record, having done time in South Afrcia as well.

Trent Boult: Another left-armer. Was Tim Southee's partner in crime during the 2008 Under-19 WC in Malaysia, and enjoyed a good first season with Northern Districts. Was taken to Australia last year for the one-day series on the strength of that season, but didn't get a game after being hit around in the warm-ups. Regarded as a future Black Cap, but barely turned out for ND this year thanks to - you guessed it - an injury.

Richard Sherlock: Lightly-framed quickie who's been around for a few seasons now. Mike profiled him a couple of times on the old site, here and here. Regarded one of the fastest bowlers in the country (hitting the 150 k/h mark if reports are to be believed), his appearances have been sporadic supposedly because of issues with fitness and accuracy. Out of the blue, he turned out for Auckland last week and ripped apart Canterbury on a dead pitch.

Other guys whose names keep coming up for discussion include Hamish Bennett (Canterbury), Doug Bracewell (Central Districts), Ben Wheeler (CD) and Bevan Small (CD, apparently bowled well in the U19 World Cup). As I don't live in New Zealand it's unlikely I'll get to watch these guys unless they're actually selected for the national side. So, to any kiwis out there, let me know if you happen to have any info or views to share on these hopefuls.