AFG vs NZ one-off Test: Tim Southee says being a fast-bowling captain tough in sub-continent

New Zealand captain Tim Southee says being a fast-bowling captain is very difficult in the sub-continent and he is ready to sit out if conditions are more spin-friendly over the next two months when they play six Test matches, starting against Afghanistan on Monday.

“It is tough….,” says Southee on captaining in the sub-continent. “Obviously, with six Test matches in this part of the world, we would like to think spin will play a crucial role. As a bowling unit, we got four quality pace bowlers and pace is your main threat back home. Here, it is potentially going to be spin. So it’s a challenge, especially for us because conditions are foreign.”

Succeeding in generally unfavourable conditions in the sub-continent is the toughest assignment for a pacer, the veteran feels.

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📹: Glimpses from the trophy unveiling ceremony ahead of the One-Off #AFGvNZ Test Match, starting tomorrow in Greater Noida, India. 🤩#AfghanAtalan | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/R4QZMBzw9u

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 8, 2024

“It’s about working out what balance is right and it’s exciting to have a number of Test matches in this part of the world. As a seamer, to do well in this part is a great test. So we will take each match as it comes and we know it’s a busy little period for us where we may have to work through our workloads,” he adds.

Southee has managed only four wickets in the last four home Tests against South Africa and Australia. However, his best Test figures came in India when he picked up 7 for 64 in Bengaluru in 2012. He averages 28.70 in five Tests in India with 20 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls. In Asia overall, Southee averages 26.50 and has 58 wickets to his name.

Club vs Country

In recent years, several top Kiwi players – like Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Finn Allen and Devon Conway – have opted out of central contracts offered by New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

Their World Test Championship (WTC) engagements for the 2023-25 cycle will be over in December when they host England for three Test matches. In January next year, there will be a clash of T20 leagues as UAE’s ILT20, South Africa’s SA20, Australia’s Big Bash League and Bangladesh’s BPL are set to overlap. With an abundance of T20 leagues, the NZC could find themselves in a situation where more players opt out of central contracts for more lucrative deals.

The New Zealand Test captain acknowledges the problem but is hopeful that the NZC will come up with a solution in the near future.

The Skippers @Hashmat_50 and Tim Southee addressed the pre-series press conference this afternoon ahead of the start of the One-Off #AFGvNZ Test Match, starting tomorrow at 9:00 AM (AFT) in Greater Noida, India. 👍#AfghanAtalan | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/dDE2V1SuXe

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 8, 2024

“NZC is working with the players and they are trying to come up with a solution that’s best suited for the players and New Zealand cricket as a whole,” he said.

“It is obviously a small cricketing country in terms of numbers. It will be great to have as many people as possible available for New Zealand, but the way the world is going, it is getting harder and harder. I’m sure NZC will continue to work with players to work out what’s best for both parties.”

Pacers’ longevity

Following James Anderson’s retirement, Tim Southee has played the highest number of Tests among active seamers. Such longevity for a seamer in Test cricket is a rarity and with 380 scalps in 100 Tests, the New Zealand captain is most likely the last among that rare breed.

“I don’t think anyone will reach the heights that Anderson has been able to reach over his career,” he says.

“For me, I still love Test cricket. And so I am just excited to be back playing Tests after a bit of a break. With the appetite of T20s and ODIs, I would still like to think there is a lot of Test cricket to be played. (But) we will have to wait and see.”

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