'It's just the measure of the man, really': NZ coach Walter on Santner turning down BBL deal for Tests

Auckland, Sep 23 (IANS) New Zealand head coach Rob Walter praised white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner for placing national duty ahead of a lucrative Big Bash League (BBL) contract to remain available for the Black Caps' crucial Test assignments, adding that it perfectly reflects the veteran left-arm spin bowling all-rounder’s character.

“Obviously I was in touch with Mitch the whole way along the way. For me it's just a measure of the man, and that's not to judge any other person. That is Mitch – it sums Mitch up. He's always been in a position to put the team first.

“I know what it means to him to captain his country and everything that goes along with that. But then also his desire to be part of the Test team, especially with what's in front of us. Whilst it may be surprising to some, certainly not to me. It's just the measure of the man, really,” Walter told reporters on Wednesday.

Addressing the broader trend of players like explosive opener Finn Allen opting for global T20 franchise contracts like the BBL, Walter expressed genuine satisfaction when his players maximise their earning potential, provided their passion for playing for New Zealand remains strong.

“At the end of the day, I'm chuffed when our players do well. I'm chuffed when our players are recognised. I think he's a man who's shown himself to be devastating when he gets going.

He's won lots of games for New Zealand. So I wish the very best for all of our players and that they get what they deserve from an earning potential point of view. That's exactly the same for Finn.

“I think it's the reality of the world of cricket. There's more and more information that shows us that that's the way the game's moving and has been moving for a period of time. I think what excites me is the hunger and the want for all those guys to still play for New Zealand.

“Given the opportunity and without clashes, they still want to come back. They're still hungry to play and represent and they always do it well. As long as we can maintain that and keep our environment strong enough to pull our players back and that they always feel like it's home for them, that'll be the key for us,” he explained.

Turning his attention to the upcoming home series against India, which features 10 white-ball matches (five T20Is and five ODIs) packed into just 20 days starting on October 22, Walter singled out pace bowler workload management as his primary logistical challenge.

“I mean, obviously, workload is sort of front of mind given the summer that's in front of us. There is a lot of excitement because of the stable that we do have and quite different in many regards. So, it's exciting. I think the number one priority is to make sure that they're sort of all available, fit and firing. I mean, that is a bit romantic in this day and age with fast bowlers and cricket.

“But the guys are recovering well. They sort of had their ankle operations and had injuries along the way.

So, when it comes to it and we find ourselves under pressure, we're just hopeful that we can lean on that battery of fast bowlers because I do believe sort of any four of them could turn out and provide a sort of competitive advantage.”

Outlining the squad strategy required to navigate the dense fixture list, Walter felt a rotation policy across the bowling unit will be vital. “I suppose it's a balancing act, looking at putting a very competitive team out on the field for each game that we play, which I believe we'll do every time.

“I think we've proven that over the last 18 months, that whoever turns out can win a game against any opposition. But then also understanding the rigours of what's in front of us. We have to be realistic about 10 games of short-format cricket in 20 days, followed by six consecutive Tests - that's a good workload.

“Understanding that one of our competitive advantages is our fast bowlers and managing that group of players and also for everyone to understand that it's a collective effort.

It's not going to come down to three guys who are going to win everything. The only way we'll get it done is as a strong collective unit.”

Despite the initial focus on white-ball cricket, Walter backed New Zealand’s 50-over core to excel against India in the upcoming three-match ODI leg. “It's obviously in the back of my mind and part of our planning and playing against India is a nice opportunity for that squad to go out and play against.

“Again, as always, there's no bad side or downside to experience.

But 50-over cricket I believe, is a real strong format of ours. I think we understand how to play that game pretty well,” he added.

Looking ahead to a challenging Test tour of Australia set to happen later, Walter pointed out that building momentum against India at home will set the right baseline for the tasks ahead. “I think the planning forms part of a bigger picture really and trying to understand how those four Tests fit in with the Test summer that we have and obviously in the World Test Championship from a greater point of view.

“But it's obviously exciting to play India here first and then move on to Australia, where many cricketers are dreaming of that opportunity. So as a team, we don't want to overlook that and just really be excited by that opportunity as well.

“But we've certainly got plenty more work to do before we even get there. So I firmly believe if we do our first home summer well and start well against India, that'll prepare us well enough for Australia,” he noted.

On managing pace combinations and travel stress across multiple venues, Walter concluded by saying, “Without delving too much into specifics, it's really understanding the load of the bowlers across the series with the summer that we've got in mind.

Trying to minimise a little bit of travel where we can.

“Obviously the games come thick and fast, so just being smart about how we manage players and where. But also then making sure the combinations suit, making sure that we have bowlers complementing each other from a skill set point of view.

“As I said before, we've got a cool mix there of bowlers and a nice opportunity to use them in a different way. It's going to be exciting. Hopefully none are affected and our planning can just roll out as expected.”

--IANS

nr/