Time for New Zealand cricket to move on
Now that the prolonged two-man race for the captaincy is finally over with the appointment of Ross Taylor, it is time for the team to unite and win some matches for New Zealand, says Logan Savory in the Southland Times .
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Now that the prolonged two-man race for the captaincy is finally over with the appointment of Ross Taylor, it is time for the team to unite and win some matches for New Zealand, says Logan Savory in the Southland Times.
For too many years, debates have raged over who gets on with who in the Black Caps, whether the power should lie with the players or the coach, and just what is the best makeup of the leadership group.
The first major challenge is two tests against Australia in Australia in December. New Zealand's leading players must front as a unit against the Australians and win some respect in international cricket circles - if they don't win the tests, they must at the very least take them into day five of the tests.
In the Dominion Post, Jonathan Millmow writes that though Taylor deserves space to grow into his new role, he remains a player first, and still has to work on his inconsistent batting.
Geoff Longley says in the Press that Brendon McCullum, who lost out to Taylor, should have been given the captaincy, given that he is in his prime.
With McCullum deciding to dispense with the gloves at test level, having the captaincy would have kept him fully involved in the field, although he will doubtless still be expected to be a senior figure for Taylor.
Now Taylor, almost four years his junior, comes in and there will have to be a settling-in phase for a player who is still fine-tuning his own game at the international level.
David Leggat, in the New Zealand Herald, says Ross Taylor is fortunate his first stint as full-time captain will be the tour of Zimbabwe, but could be pegged back if things go awry against Australia and South Africa after that.