KEY POINTS:
A pall of thunder hovered over John Bracewell's head during a brief interview in Adelaide yesterday afternoon and it's no exaggeration to suggest the New Zealand media were encouraged to keep their questions to a minimum.
How much blame should Bracewell take for the Black Cap performance? Should he continue?
Send us your views
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Here is the latest selection of your views:
Simon Stewart
How dumb. Theres no point changing the coach 2 months before a world cup! Bracewell has a rep for turning average sides into one day winners, this hasnt been the case with NZ. However I think the players have to stand up and take some responsibility for the poor performances. We still have time to get our performance up to scratch, remember the 1992 world cup, I think we lost all the one dayers against England before that started and look how well we did then.Below would be my number 1 team and if they start finding some form in the next 2 months could challenge any team in the world: 1.Astle 2.Flemming 3.Fulton 4.Styris 5.Taylor 6.Oram 7.McCullum 8.Franklin 9.Vettori 10.Mills 11. Bond.
Lane
JB is the coach. Ultimately he is accountable for the teams performance. It also needs to be put in perspective of the players he has avaiable. In the end the stats paint a fairly good picture of where the team is at. One thing that JB needs to learn is his PR skills. He is not going to win many friends by not turning up to press conferences and giving one line answers.
Murray Hancox
Unfortunately Bracewell is only part of the problem as the blame mostly lies with inept technical management skills within NZ Cricket. The constant injury woes of our key players is testament to this. NZ has a small but excellent core of top players and correct Management of these key players, their fitness, technique and well being is absolutely imperative if NZ is to regularly foot it internationally. Compare the Australian scenario and their injuries pall into insignificance as their technical management addresses these sort of problems before they occur. So we require smarter technical management of our pivotal key players. Blaming John Bracewell is over simplifying a core problem that has been with us for the whole of the professional era. Bracewell is often left to try to make the best of an often below par team. When we address the issue of top technical and fitness management we will be able to call on the best of our small pool of international class players.
Taylor Hogden
He needs to go but this close to a world cup, he wont. I place a large heap of the blame on Bracewells shoulders for destroying the career of (an in form) Lou Vincent and the early exit of Chris Cairns from international cricket. Cairns stated it was due to personal reasons but I am not so convinced. I believe he had another year in him, at least enough time to bow out at the World Cup. Vincent was apparently axed for his disinterest in opening yet had scored both a fifty and mammoth 200+ score in his last three tests. The continued use of Marshall (when he hasnt had a score of substance in almost a year) and ignoring a talent like Jesse Ryder is a travesty. The reasoning that Ryders a hothead doesnt sit well with me as players such as Ponting and Afridi started out in similar fashion and matured through playing at international level. Team moral also seems low as does team culture, which has won us many games in the past - just a bond within the players that now seems sorely missing. In fact, everything about the NZ team at the moment (bar the odd bright spot like Gillespie and Taylors emergence) seems bad and yet it was only a few years ago that we were riding relatively high under coaches like Rixon and Trist. Bracewell must go and go soon. His arrogance (comparable to a certain Duncan Fletcher of late) and refusal to see glaring errors in his team (mis)management have been critical errors in the development of the team as a whole. Until he does step down, we're doomed to more dire performances and a brittle batting lineup, unsure of what to do and how to play.
Morgan Ferthinbelcher
I think the plight of New Zealand cricket has been brewing for some time now, and although a certain degree of responsibility falls on the coach; in this case, the arrogant, has an-excuse-for-everything man by the name of Bracewell - surely more blame needs to be pointed squarely at our selectors. To persevere with consistent under-performers such as Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming is ridiculous. These two are our most experienced batsmen, yet Fleming is playing likes he has indulged in too much of the product that made him famous on that 1995 South African tour, and Astle seems to think that a late cut shot will work on any line/length of bowling; stump cam or any of the slips or keeper must relish each time Astle comes out to bat. Our bowling doesnt really need a change of selection - just more consistency. Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel and of course, NZ's greatest player (and has been for some time), Daniel Vettori, are all more than capable of doing the biz. But when players such as Ross Taylor are finally given the opportunity only weeks out from the world cup (despite his continued and consistent domestic success in years gone by), it goes to show that our selection panel was obviously too blind to see that our continuous batting woes began long before the recent Sri Lankan tour. Sure, its too late make such changes so close to the World Cup, but I fear that unless we get some consistency and that winning feeling back again (and Im talking convincing victories; not the kind in that oh-so-boring Sri Lankan series), then Trade Me could see a rise in the number of cricket tickets for sale; not because they are sold out, but because people simply wont want to go.
Jonathan C
Bracewell makes impulsive selections and strategic changes, sometimes appears to play favourites, and has failed to produce any noteworthy results in his entire time in charge (home ODI victories over South Africa 3 years ago notwithstanding). The Black Caps are stagnating, and I feel it is high time a fresh approach was adopted, and perhaps some quality players were given a fair run (e.g. Sinclair, Vincent, Papps). With the dreadful form of the top order, surely the coach must be held accountable for this, especially if he is the prime selector and the best top order batsmen are perhaps not even being selected in the mix. I look forward to changes, and perhaps the time has also come for Fleming, after 10 years at the helm, to make way for a fresh approach (and clever cricket brain) of Vettori.
Feric
Lets be honest here! What have we achieved under Bracewell? I have been a loyal and hardcore cricket fan for as long as I can remember and besides the disappointments of the late 90's this current New Zealand Cricket team is unimpressive, uninspiring and more importantly barely watchable. I dont mind losing a game if it is close, such as the game latest against Australia, but losing against England is simply the last straw. Indeed, someone has to go and it is always the captain or the coach. It should be an easy decision if not an imperative one before the World Cup. Fleming is out of form but he has led for many years and bringing in a new captain just before the World Cup would be a somewhat terrible path to take. Thus, let us take the only other path available to us. Get rid of the Coach while we still can! Bring in someone with fresh, positive ideas and especially one who has a vast array of knowledge in the batting department. Lets face it, the call needs to go up: Brace Well Off! Let us have a competent team for the World Cup, not a team that has lost its way under a coach who has taken a lost as a positive step forward!!!
Joseph S
A coach must be in touch with his athletes sports psychology. J B obviously lacks this ability. Look at the Australian cricket team or the English Rugby team that won the world cup. Each member of the team playing the same tune with equal all conquering measured determination. The All Blacks lacked it and lost thanks to a detrimental coach, this will also happen to the Black Caps at the One Day World Cup.
Sam Bearda
Yes, John Bracewell should go and so should Stephen Fleming, after the World Cup when the humiliation will be complete and NZ Cricket have time to sit down and re-organise the team. We should be playing cricket in February and March when the weather is at its best, but of course rugby has already moved onto the cricket pitches with Super 14.
Anthony
Let us wait until the end of the current series before hanging Bracewell out to dry. If we overcome he will be hailed as a hero but if we fail then our cricket development may be put back 10 years. Sadly I feel the latter may prevail. Australian coach next time please.
Naibuka Nayacakalou
First of all they have been inconsistent over the years. The fact remains they arent doing well at the moment which has raised lots of questions. Do we blame the coach and the captain? I think its unfair. When you face a ball on the pitch its your technique that determines your fate not the coach. Yes he may have given you a plan but arent players educated enough to know that the person whose bowling could also change his technique? Where does this leave the players, in an awkward position I suppose. However, I believe the solution lies with careful observation and implementation of appropriate strategies. Australia does so well because they study you well, you may bowl them out today but tomorrow they'll belt you. If we are keen to do this than no matter the outcome we know we'll learn and hopefully one day turn the tables.
Reece Palmer
The first thing we need to establish is the responsibility of certain people for their roles within the team. A coach is responsible for selecting the best team for the opposition and the conditions in which the game is played. Blind freddy on a galloping horse can see that this is not as it should be. A swathe of not just losses but in some cases utter capitulations indicates that our best team is not always out there. So rotation smotation, its not effective when the players coming into the side come into what must be a very frustrated and stressed locker room. If its not a frustrated locker room then with the current crop of results it should be and the players should be taking a damn good look at themselves. The players themselves are selected to carry out the coaches and captains strategy (hopefully these are somewhat congruent) and to give their 100% effort to the team. If the selector(s) have half a brain in their head the team is selected on current and very recent form, not on the fact that he made 49 six or so matches ago and sweet FA since. You cannot blame a coach for a players individual performance but you can expect a consistent lack of performance to affect selection. There are some pointedly stupid things being undertaken in the name of training in this team, who the hell prepares for one of the worlds fastest bowlers with throw-downs! Bracewells record is so scratched it should now be removed from the player, both figuratively and literally. He has been involved with both of our lowest scores, as a player and as a coach. I think we have a definite case of I know what I know and you don't here, take the blinkers off and sort it out, somebody,anybody. Finally the captain is appointed by the coach to implement his strategy on the field and is responsible in conjunction with senior players for motivating the team on the field, this isnt happening like it used to, there was a time when Flemings captaincy was electric, I dont think he was part of the opening team at that time I think he may have been playing at 4 which is far better suited to him anyway. There are things weighing on his mind that shouldnt be due to the sometimes jury-rigged nature of this team. I think there is a personality issue within the team that needs to be resolved, and quickly.
Mike McCormick
I find it amusing that the New Zealand team, who have never been close to the best side in the world, seem to think they have a chance in the upcoming world cup. The side lacks any batsmen of world class (even their best average considerably below top international players) and of the bowlers only Shane Bond truly stacks up and he is injured most of the time. How you plan to win a tournament without any good players beggars belief. New Zealand needs to focus on long term success. Rotation will achieve this if (and only if) new talent is unearthed. However, the overwhelming focus on the one day game is misguided. Firstly, because test cricket is a true measure of a countries standing and secondly since outside the world cup no one cares about the result of the endless games of one day cricket. Bracewells big failing has been his predominant focus on the one day game to the detriment of the test team. Is their any coincidence that the best test teams are also the best one day teams? I think not.
JW
Its time for John Bracewell to step down, I think his arrogance is getting the better of him and a perfect example is his stance towards the media, he has a duty and obligation to answer questions that are relevant to his teams hopes and aspirations and he is failing to do that, he is damaging the reputation of NZ cricket. Obviously on-field matters rest mostly with the players and they have to look at themselves as well, but Bracewell has to take some responsibility for the continuing issues surrounding poor form. Time for Mr John Wright to step into the role I think!!
Phil
One interview I viewed online summed up my suspicions of the man just perfectly. For the most part he tore into his players and there was no real admission of responsibility on his behalf. Maybe he does not understand (or is too proud to understand) what taking responsibility means. It doesnt always mean the axe. It can mean a humble admission that his formulas of late have not worked and to take a leaf from the strategic book from times of success. Yeah; some players are definitely not playing up to potential right now, but Bracewell needs to be held more accountable or to hold himself more accountable.
Paul
The person in this article seems unbelievably dumb. I think the sale of non-prescribed contact lenses should be banned. There are more factors involved in safe contact lens wear than just hygiene. If these products were restricted for sale from specialists such as optometrists and pharmacists, and with proper instructions, these places would not sell them because they would still consider it an unacceptably high risk. We ought to take the advice of people who know what they are talking about.
Lawrence
Seriously he and the selectors should be accountable for the lack of good results this season. They have failed to build for the lead up to the world cup. Things are so bad in the battling department especially at the top order where none of the so called specialist batsmen have any sort of consistent form, especially the captain. The best team to be picked needs to have form behind them. And if this means picking a new captain and some major changes so be it. The way NZ is going they are going to be lucky to qualify for the next round in the world cup. NZ needs to be looking at new talent not resurrecting players who have been there and done that - in the scheme of things Ross Taylor has been a find for the summer. Lastly I believe they need to secure the services of NZs greatest batsmen Martin Crowe as a batting coach.
David M
It is the players out in the middle that decide what shot to play to the ball that is bowled to them, so if they play the wrong or a stupid shot, it isnt the coach's fault. By the time they get into the Black Caps they should be good enough to know what shot to play. So, the problem is the players are just not good enough, relative to the opposition. To fix this we either look at the selection panel, or the state of the game in NZ as a whole. Of course we could just only play Bangladesh, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Luke
Yes Bracewell should go, he doesnt have the skills to coach an international side. He seems to be a polarised, brazen character. Unlike some coaches of the past he doesn't have that winning'attitude. NZ cricket teams do better under an easier going personality such as Wally Lees. Maybe its time for a hard working coach who seems to have the positive thinking attitude that they desperately need, where are you Mr Wright?
Grumpy
I cant believe that in this day and age of professional sport where performance is the key mechanism in any national team environment, our current national mens cricket team coach is still holding down his position! If you look back at the Black Caps performance in the last calendar year, you will see instability, inexperience and defeat after defeat, bowlers not bowling the right lines and batsmen with poor shot selection, This clearly reflects on the coach and John Bracewell must do the right thing by the players, NZ Cricket and the public who get behind the Black Caps and step down! Come on John! Stop bluffing your employers and the public and realize the role is now too much for you to handle, if Graham Henry loses 3 test matches in a row, he walks!!! Rhere are plenty of great coaches on the market waiting to be appointed who can benefit our Great New Zealand Cricket Team and can support the worlds best Captain(Stephen Fleming)than you are currently. Its time for our team to be on top, and stay there!
Karl
Theres no sense of what the role of any of the team members are there to do. A lot of players are now discards because of some policy of forcing players into positions that they arent suited for and then ditching them when they dont perform. Or worse, ditching them when they do (e.g. Lou Vincent). The rotation policy seems flawed - it works when you rotate like with like (e.g. rotate openers with openers to create depth), not when you rotate like with non-like (e.g. a tail-ender with an opener).
CM
You bet Bracewell and Fleming should cop it. Had the Black Caps' been the All Blacks both, especially Fleming, wouldve been down the road long ago. Another writer commented that New Zealand has a small pool of cricketing talent to pool from. Oh boo hoo. Suck it up NZ Cricket and send what little talent you do have to Australias esteemed cricketing academies to learn how to play world class cricket, rather than the mild step-up from backyard cricket theyre currently playing. Maybe, there could be a trade-off, the NZRU could teach Australian to play a decent game of footie, meanwhile, they could give Kiwis a cricket team thats not considered a national liability. What a deal. Fancy telling sports journos to keep their questions to a minimum when interviewing Bracewell? Someone should tell NZ Cricket this only provides further fuel for the fact that journos across the land are on to something and its a B.I.G.G.I.E. Failing any of my well-thought-out suggestions, I vote Shane Warne for coach.
Long suffering fan
It appears to me that the arrogant John Bracewell is completely out of his depth in terms of his coaching philosophy and ability, his inability to reinforce positive team harmony, spirit and morale (like the Aussies) his inability to accept responsibility for team performance as indicated during his recent media interview. How long does this arrogant man expect genuine (Kiwi) cricket loving fans to follow and support this crap. Can you imagine the consequences if he were in charge of the All Blacks? Is he a protected species. Just look at the body language of Fleming & Co whilst they are out on the pitch compared to the Aussies. Lets put the poor bastard out of his misery.
Geoff
Yes I think Bracewell is 100% responsible for the continued poor form of this side. Iam sure he's a nice guy but he has to go. We have shown that in previous years that we do have the talent, and it appears under Bracewell we have taken quite a few steps back rather than progress. I see Australia as a pretty good yardstick and in 2001/2 we were pretty much on an even keel with them, but since then it has been all downhill really. I think John Wright is a much better people person as he managed to do a really good job in India where there is an unbelievable amount of politics in the game (eg North vs South, East vs West) and would be an ideal man for the 2011 world cup. Unfortunately I can not this side doing all that much in a couple of months. A couple of bright spots - Gillespie has really improved and he was bowling a super line to Australia,and Taylor seems to be playing OK. Patel should come in for Vettori as he is out of form. Oh well a press conference over there in Oz must be alot of fun at this time!
Avi Singh
It has been quite clear for some time that John Bracewell has not achieved anything notable in his tenure at New Zealand Cricket. His continued refusal to acknowledge the sides shortcomings and reality of the situation smell of desperation on his part to retain his job.New Zealand Cricket had the chance to appoint John Wright some time ago, and failed to do so. He went on to mould India into the only side that was at the time able to challenge Australia. Lets hope that Martin Snedden does not make the same mistake twice. For the sake of New Zealand Cricket, lets get John Wright on board and Martin Crowe as a batting coach to at least halt some of the irreparable damage Bracewell has caused to New Zealand Cricket. Bracewell needs to go, and he needs to go now.
John Robb
I think one of the major problems with NZ Cricket is that Stephen Fleming needs to go, They are in danger of doing with him what they did with Martin Crowe and tha's hanging on to him too long after hes past his best. This used to be the case with the All Blacks if you were somebody influentials mate, relative or a suck up you got selected. Big money of course sorted that out. NZ Cricket needs to stop selecting its friends and start selecting the players on merit and we need to stop blaming the coach he has to work with what he has given.
Anil Singh
In my opinion the following should leave the team immediately- The Coach, the captian and N. Astle- they have had their time-why continue with them. How many games does it take to get tham going? Fleming is not the worlds best captian anymore- was he ever? 88 wins from about 187 games-Phew!!. What has Bracewell achieved – Nothing. We need new blood- fellas who want to hit the cricket ball rather then shy away from it. We can all se it- had this been the All Blacks- heads would have rolled long time ago.
Please do something soon - forget about this coming worlcup- lets get a team and coach for the next one.
Mike Thorn
Personally the thing that continues to get me is that noone in the team seems to know what their role is. The comments he and Brendon McCullum made about McCullums place in the batting order just seem to reinforce that. Dan Vettoris uncertainty about where he was to bat leading into the tour is another example.If Bracewell has a plan, he should probably tell the players.
John Cob
Cant coach, cant talk - get rid of the creep.
Steve Hogg
I think it fair to say that a New Zealand coach in any other sporting code with Bracewells record would have been sacked a long long time ago.
Bruce Dockary
John Bracewell should take full responsibility for the Black Caps current form. His rotational policy this close to the world cup is nothing short of ridiculous. We do not have the depth and our number one team requires as much match play as possible prior to the world cup. Now is not the time for experimentation.His dictatorial methods have clearly affected the moral of the team and unless he changes his selection policy, and quickly, unfortunately we will be one of the also rans at the world cup.
Paul Nixon
He should shoulder the responsibility of his decisions. While the rotation policy has merit in the long term he should concede that at this point it's time to settle on a team that will play the majority of the games. The question is whether or not he can get the best out of the players. The batsmen are the issue and this needs to be addressed rapidly. Facts speak for themselves in Bracewells tenure. The team has slipped from #2 in test cricket to #5 and only maintained their ODI status of #5. This illustrates no visible improvement in the Black Caps on-field performances.
Ian Morine
The Black Caps performances and their results are proving to be extremely embarrassing and a total flop. The Australians (who are not slow at taking advantage of a situation like this) are feeding off our results like there is no tomorrow, especially their ex-pat citizens now living here. We can't even beat England for goodness sake !!! There are only two people to blame, the coach who I suspect must take a lions share of the responsibility and the captain Stephen Flemming, who honestly doesn't seem to have his mind on the job at hand, since the festive season anyway. What did happen over that recent period ?? Stephen Flemmings captaincy in my opinion anyway, will always be marked by the lack of consistency in the results. NZ is going to be humiliated at the upcoming World Cup, that's as obvious as the nose in front of my face and I honestly don't think there is anything that can be done now to stop this from happening, its all much too late really.
Fancy having a rotation policy for the past while, when we can't even field one decent international team. Rotation policies, as used by the All Blacks only work when a country can field at least two international teams. A definite fail mark (yet again) on any report card on the NZ Black Caps !!
Dean
Bracewell should stand down and coach India instead.It would be quite an appealing sight to see his burning effigy on the evening news.
McFist
Bracewell is a bone fide numpty, but getting rid of the coach this close to the world cup would do more harm than good. If we don't make the semis, he should be out. The continued selection of Hamish Marshall is the most ridiculous thing to happen to the NZ Cricket since Darryl Tuffey got creative with a milkshake.
KC
You cant make a silk shirt out of a pigs bollocks.
What NZ cricket fans and media need to realise we have a very small pool of cricket talent in this country.So when you factor in injuries to key players such as Bond ,Oram,Styrus we are always going to struggle.Is it Bracewells fault they are injured? When you also look at players in the current squad such as Astle, Fleming ,Fulton ,Marshell, McCallum who are so badly off form what do you expect? Who else currently playing domestic Cricket in NZ is better than what we have available to Bracewell? Chris Harris maybe but anyone else out there who would do better? We still have time for the injured players to get fit and for the out of form players to find some touch The one big bonus is we are playing the World Champs regularly before the world cup so hopefully we might learn something from the Aussies and take that with us to the World Cup.
