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ANTIGUA - John Bracewell defends left-arm paceman James Franklin, hinting he'll remain part of New Zealand's 'A' team for the rest of the World Cup, despite being hit out of the attack in the Super Eight match against the West Indies.
In a mostly problem-free tournament, Franklin's expensive spell on Friday is one of the few hiccups in New Zealand's campaign and was expected to prompt soul-searching among the selectors before Tuesday's outing against Bangladesh.
Franklin, out of his usual new-ball position because of the inclusion of Michael Mason, was taken apart by Chris Gayle and was retired to the outfield after conceding 29 runs off three overs. It's not the first time the swing-merchant has suffered at the hands of aggressive batsmen but Bracewell appeared unperturbed and was confident Franklin would endure.
"I didn't have a problem with what happened," he said. "He was attacked. I think Gayle decided the way to get a decent total on that wicket was to bully him and try to emulate Matthew Hayden's innings [against South Africa].
"I don't think James bowled badly - it was just a strategy they decided to go with. That's the beauty of this team, they can bounce out of those situations; they can switch to a B plan quite seamlessly with Scotty Styris and things like that.
"I think James will get conditions that suit him at some point. He'll come through and someone else will get tonked. That's the way it goes."
Bracewell wasn't convinced Franklin's only role was as an opening bowler, when the ball was more likely to swing. He was confident the Wellington paceman could role-play as a change bowler when needed.
With Mark Gillespie out for the first half of the tournament and Daryl Tuffey back home with a bicep injury, Franklin operated as a third seamer to accommodate Mason - who is seen as less flexible.
"I think a lot of James' spells that have been valuable to us have actually been in the middle of the innings. He's been working really well on his change-ups and bowling around the wicket, and his death [bowling] is getting a lot better. I haven't concerns about any of our bowlers. They're all competitive and we'll just keep picking them on that basis."
Despite Franklin's pummelling, Bracewell said he was delighted with the bowlers' discipline against the West Indies, when extras were restricted to a minimum. He expected his attack to build on that as they proceed through the second round.
New Zealand are well-placed to capture a semifinals berth after carrying through two points from the group phase, collecting two against the Windies on Friday, and being virtually assured of picking up four against minnows Bangladesh and Ireland.
That will leave them strongly positioned to push for a No 1 or No 2 seeding during their last three Super Eights games in Grenada: against Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia.
"I was very pleased with the way we held our discipline [against the Windies]," he said. "It was the key message that went through to our bowlers; to try and string the dot balls together and put them under some sort of pressure.
"I think Michael [Mason] and Shane [Bond] set a good standard for us and bowled well - but I don't think that's made my job any harder as a selector.
"Having lots of guys to select from isn't a headache for me. It's a headache when we haven't got guys to select from. Having an outswinger in Mason - who we always said was going to be handy - is proving very useful for us."
Having said that, Bracewell conceded he had his thinking cap on for his next move with the attack, given the arrival of the in-form Chris Martin to replace Tuffey and the impressive effort from Mason on Friday.
The suggestion seems to be that New Zealand - mindful of what happened in the warm-up matches - will resist taking any chances with their combination against Bangladesh, but could opt for changes against Ireland in their following game at Georgetown.
That could mean returns for the injured Gillespie and batsman Ross Taylor, and a first outing for Martin - who Bracewell said had been impressive at practice.
"It's tempting to pick him, especially with the pace that he's showing. He's bowled with good power; he's got real good timing at the moment and he has sharp pace.
"He may be a consideration in the game against the Irish, who have five left-handers up front because we all know how well he bowls against left-handers."
As for Taylor, who has a pulled hamstring, Bracewell said he was satisfied with his progress but was loath to risk him too soon, knowing that an aggravation of the hamstring strain could end his tournament.
With Lou Vincent ruled out of the tournament with a broken hand and Hamish Marshall now drafted into the squad, Bracewell said he preferred the idea of employing Peter Fulton as a makeshift opener rather than opting for anything too adventurous.
Pitch conditions in the West Indies have proved helpful for bowlers in the first 10-15 overs, and Bracewell said it was important to have openers who were genuine top-order practitioners, and who could handle the heat at the top of the innings.
"There are options that we've prepared for. Hamish has opened before and depending on the strategy we want to use, there's also the option of Brendon McCullum.
"But I'd have thought that, with the conditions that we've got - where it's vital to get through the first 15 rather than attack in the first 15 - that it's better to have genuine upper-order batsmen in that position."
Assistant coach Bob Carter was to monitor Bangladesh's effort against Australia today in an effort to glean any extra information about their approach, as New Zealand continued their fastidious preparation for a tilt at the cup.
Bracewell said New Zealand's ability to adjust to any conditions, opponents or match situation should stand them in good stead as the business end of the tournament rolls around.
"The team that adapts the fastest will have a good opportunity," he said. "The teams with flexibility, that don't get caught up in a one-strategy game-plan will do the best. Those that lack flexibility will be slowly eliminated."
