Neil Wagner holding drinks during the first test between the Black Caps and England at Lord's. Photo / Photosport
Neil Wagner holding drinks during the first test between the Black Caps and England at Lord's. Photo / Photosport
OPINION:
In any sports team, there are players who live above the "selection line".
What that basically means is that if they're fit and available, they play. They're so integral to the team that they become rusted-on members of the side and are almost immune to the whims of selectorsand the vagaries of form. In truth, their form and consistency are the reasons they fall into the category in the first place, so dropping them becomes inconceivable.
In the Black Caps test side, Kane Williamson is above the selection line. So are Trent Boult and Tom Latham. And up until recently, I thought Neil Wagner was, too.
His omission from the New Zealand side for the first two tests against England was as mystifying as it was inexplicable. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but how valuable would Wagner have been as New Zealand battled – eventually in vain – to stymie a resurgent England side?
Statistics only tell part of the story, but they're certainly worth examining. Wagner has formed part of the most powerful three-pronged pace attack in our history. Together with Boult and Tim Southee, Wagner has led the red-ball side through a period of sustained success, culminating in last year's World Test Championship title.
Black Caps paceman Neil Wagner during bowling practice at Headingley. Photosport
His 244 test wickets have come at both a better average and strike rate than either of his partners-in-crime. Given the fact the new ball rarely – if ever – ends up in his hands, and sometimes he isn't even first change, those figures are even more impressive. If he were to play the same number of tests as Southee or Boult and continue his strike rate, he'd end up with more wickets than either of them.
But Wagner's value to the side goes far beyond pure stats. Heart and passion aren't reflected in those numbers, and neither is the lift he gives his teammates who can't help but be inspired by his unstinting approach.
I bet Brendon McCullum could hardly believe his luck. As New Zealand captain, how often must he have thrown the cherry to Wags to nab a wicket, put pressure on a burgeoning partnership or bowl a bracket of overs on a dead pitch, knowing the batters wouldn't get a moment's respite? Williamson and Latham didn't have that luxury as England flourished at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
There hasn't been any real explanation for Wagner's dropping, apart from vague references to "horses-for-courses" and a suggestion he may not quite be at the level of previous tests and tours. But that's where the selection line comes into play. You simply have to trust those players will deliver for you. The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour and there's nothing to suggest Wagner wouldn't have – once again – risen to and relished the occasion of a battle against the Three Lions.
It's too late now, of course. The series is lost and the path to successive World Test Championships now looks very challenging indeed. Wagner may well play in the third test and do so with every bit as much vim and vigour as he always has. But the English horse has bolted and even one of the most lion-hearted cricketers of our time can't now haul them in.
