New Zealand v Australia: Ross Taylor says Neil Wagner’s retirement from Black Caps was ‘forced’

Black Caps great Ross Taylor has suggested that bowler Neil Wagner’s retirement from the international scene was “forced” on him.

Wagner, 37, announced his retirement on the eve of the first test defeat in Wellington, after being told he was being released from the squad.

In 64 tests, Wagner took 260 wickets at an average of 27.57 with a strike-rate of 52.7. Only Sir Richard Hadlee has a better strike rate in tests among New Zealanders who have taken more than 100 wickets.

He had a quiet domestic season owing to him recovering from injury and played only a handful of Plunket Shield matches before Christmas followed by six first-class Twenty20 appearances. He then played the second test against South Africa in Hamilton. In that test, New Zealand played four seamers but Wagner was the sixth bowler used in South Africa’s second innings, with just eight overs to his name.

He was then initially named in the squad for the two-test series against Australia but slipped down the pecking order despite injuries to fellow fast bowlers. When Kyle Jamieson was ruled out of the series with a back injury, Scott Kuggeleijn was brought into the squad and earned a recall ahead of Wagner in Wellington.

Two days before the first test, Wagner announced his retirement after being told he would not be part of the starting XI and would be released from the squad.

Appearing on ESPN’s Around The Wicket podcast, Taylor was asked about a viral image of Wagner flipping the finger at a teammate, suspected to be captain Tim Southee, during his final test appearance in Hamilton last month.

“I think it all makes sense a little bit now. There’s no sugarcoating it: I think it’s a forced retirement,” Taylor said.

“If you listen to Wagner’s press conference, he was retiring, but it was after this last test match [against Australia]. So he did make himself available.”

With Will O’Rourke suffering a left hamstring strain in the first test defeat in Wellington, there was an opportunity to give Wagner a final test sendoff in Christchurch. However, uncapped Wellington Firebirds pace-bowler Ben Sears was brought into the 13-man squad while Wagner was released as planned.

“And to see that he isn’t selected... I think you do need to plan for the future, but a one-off test against Australia in a must-win situation, I wouldn’t be looking much further than Neil Wagner. And I’m sure the Australian batters are sleeping easy that he’s not in the side,” Taylor said.

On the podcast, former Australian star Aaron Finch said it didn’t make sense for Wagner, with all his success in the test arena, to miss selection for the test series.

“I couldn’t believe Neil Wagner wasn’t in the XI. I just genuinely thought that he must have been out through a niggle,” Finch said. “The success he’s had against Australia, particularly [against] Steven Smith over a period of time, you can guarantee that the last wicket partnership wouldn’t have happened if Wagner was there.

“Because he would have intimidated Josh Hazlewood at least. He might have stopped Cameron Green from scoring as well. I thought that was a really interesting decision,” Finch said.

Following the first test defeat, Southee said Wagner was still a possible option for the second test.

“We obviously have to go and make a decision on who comes in and what role they play in Christchurch.

“[Wagner] has had a great reception here over the last week when he got a couple of moments on the field and obviously he’s been a fan favourite for a long time.”

‘A lot left in the tank’

Last summer, speaking to the Country Sport Breakfast, Wagner said he still believed he had plenty left in the tank.

“I heard a couple of yarns that people are saying maybe that’s my career done,” Wagner said after playing with a torn right hamstring and a bulging disc in his back to help New Zealand to a stunning last-ball test victory over Sri Lanka.

“Quite gutted hearing that. It’s definitely not done and dusted for me. Injuries happen. I’m actually quite more surprised with what I’ve been able to do since the Mount [Maunganui] test [against England] and now, to play through the pain and niggles that I’ve done in my body and to be able to handle quite a bit of a bashing. I do believe I’ve got a lot left in the tank.”