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BRISBANE - Inexperience won't pass as an excuse for New Zealand cricket captain Daniel Vettori who is predicting some surprises from his young guns in the next fortnight.
It was a familiar scenario for Vettori as he prepared to lead out a team hugely light on test experience and predicted to receive an almighty flogging in the two-test series against Australia.
He's overseen a record loss in South Africa, agonising defeats at home and away against England after his team threw away series-winning positions, then a huge fright from minnows Bangladesh before Vettori led them to a 1-0 victory.
Far from being overawed, he said the heart was racing as his team prepared to face Australia in today's first test at the Gabba, with the series to conclude in Adelaide next week.
"I'm pretty excited. We've had that (also-rans) label, apart from against Bangladesh, the whole way through my captaincy," he said.
"I know we've got some exceptional talent there, we do have that inexperience tag hanging over us and I'd like to think we're better than that.
"I don't want to use that, or the fact we're in a rebuilding stage, as an excuse for not winning.
"I back my team to compete against Australia and if we can put on that spectacular performance then we do have a chance of winning. "
Take away Vettori's 85 caps, paceman Chris Martin's 43 and vice-captain Brendon McCullum's 37, then the rest of today's likely playing 11 had 64 tests between them.
Five of the top-six, McCullum excepted, had 36 caps, with opener Jamie How the most experienced with 14, while Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn were all aged under 25.
Taylor was the only top-six batsman with a test century against a major nation, a memorable 154 not out against England at Old Trafford in June.
But Vettori wasn't grumbling as the constant refrain of "lambs to the slaughter" rang out and local bookmakers offered $9.50 on a New Zealand win in the first test.
On all tours, the loss of Shane Bond, Craig McMillan, Lou Vincent, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris, Andre Adams and Daryl Tuffey to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) was highlighted by local media, but Vettori wasn't panicking.
"If I'm completely honest, Shane Bond's the only guy I'd want in my test side at the moment out of the guys who have left," Vettori said.
"Craig's a guy I'd love to have involved in the one-day or Twenty20, but for the rest of the guys I didn't think they were up to it, or there's the 35-year-olds who've moved on.
"To have someone like Shane Bond in the side makes a world of difference, but it has been a long time now and I suppose we've had the ability to move on from that and keep going with the side we're starting to form now. "
Vettori acknowledged the threat of ICL remained as they strived to stay competitive.
But their biggest need was regular test match play as they eye eight tests this season, two each against Bangladesh, Australia, India and West Indies.
"We're in the same situation as a team like Sri Lanka. They're one of the best sides if the world and we have to acknowledge we are a smaller market side.
"We'd love to have a three-test series against Australia, it's the biggest series for our public back home and it's going to be the series that enables us to get better quicker, playing against the best. We're also understanding of our place in world cricket. "
- NZPA
