Black Caps v England: Sir Geoffrey Boycott foolish to say New Zealand needs to prepare spinning wickets – Alex Powell

Hagley Oval ground staff prepare the wicket for the first test between the Black Caps and England. in Christchurch Photo / Getty Images

THREE KEY FACTS

• The Black Caps and England begin their three test series in Christchurch on Thursday
• England lost their last series, away in Pakistan, 2-1 on spinning wickets
• New Zealand won 3-0 away to India in similar conditions

He’s a knight of the realm and all, but Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s assertion that New Zealand aren’t “brave enough” to prepare spin-friendly wickets can’t seriously be believed.

“Their success has usually come from good seam bowling, not spin, but England have had better seamers than them,” the 84-year-old wrote of the Black Caps in the Daily Telegraph.

“I was taught to do whatever the opposition did not want you to, so, for me, result pitches are New Zealand’s best chance of success – but, in the end, I do not think they will be brave enough to do it.”

In 2024, test cricket has effectively become an arms race in specifically tailoring wickets to play into hosts’ hands at their opponents’ expense.

But preparing spinning pitches is not what the Black Caps need. Boycott’s argument of being able to outplay England on turners, as evidenced by their 3-0 series win over India, does hold weight. At the same time, England threw away a 1-0 lead in similar conditions to lose to Pakistan.

But doctoring wickets merely to expose an opponent would be the same trap India fell into on their way to a history-making whitewash.

India didn’t play to its strengths, which we’ve since seen in Australia is its world-class pace attack in combination with its star batting unit. Instead, the Indians played to what they thought was the Black Caps’ weakness.

The only issue was the spinning tracks they rolled out showed up their own batters just as much as they did New Zealand’s.

With all due respect to the likes of Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, any pitch that turns them into wicket-taking strike bowlers raises more questions than answers.

Instead, the pitches the Black Caps will play on against England will – rightly – play to New Zealand’s strengths. Since Gary Stead became Black Caps coach in 2018, nearly all of the team’s success at home has been based around a four- if not five-pronged pace battery.

And with Nathan Smith confirmed to debut in Christchurch in the series opener, that strategy will continue.

That aside, the greatest flaw in Boycott’s assertion is even if they wanted to, New Zealand couldn’t prepare spinning pitches.

Conditions that dictate a spinning wicket, heat and a lack of moisture, are absent from Aotearoa until the new year. Even if they desired wickets that spun from the opening session, like we see in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the spring climate makes it impossible.

According to Niwa, October 2024 delivered Christchurch 76mm of rainfall, a 154% increase of what’s considered normal, and a mean temperature of 12.1C.

True, playing on wickets that turn from the opening session would leave England in a struggle against a Black Caps side proving they can still match it with the best.

But not preparing spinning wickets doesn’t mean the Black Caps aren’t brave. It means they aren’t stupid.