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The Australia A tour of India will mark the start of Konstas’ season before a defining month of Sheffield Shield cricket for New South Wales

AAP09-Sep-20250:27

Konstas gone for duck as tough Caribbean tour ends

Sam Konstas doesn’t care for regrets or critics. And by putting himself on a self-imposed social media ban, the teenager hunting an opening spot in a home Ashes series has ensured he will hear as little of the latter as possible.The 19-year-old is set to play two four-day matches in India for Australia A before targeting four Sheffield Shield games for New South Wales with a goal of finding the red-ball form that eluded him on a tough tour of the West Indies.Whatever happens in the next two months, you can be sure the charismatic young gun won’t be giving two hoots over what outsiders say about his approach.Related

• Australia's Ashes questions: Open season, two allrounders, four quicks?

• Konstas trusting advice of his 'inner circle' ahead of Ashes push

• 'Unbelievable' Archer primed for Ashes impact, says McCullum

Konstas dazzled the cricket world on Boxing Day last year against India on Test debut with a flamboyant and audacious 60 off 65 balls. Critics said he would not be able to play that way on a regular basis and succeed.Runs have since proven elusive and Konstas did not pass 25 in his next nine Test innings.  He is competing with a plethora of candidates to partner Usman Khawaja for the opening Ashes Test in Perth but has no regrets about his approach on debut against Jasprit Bumrah and company.”I wouldn’t change it,” Konstas told AAP. “I don’t have any regrets in my life to be honest. I thought that was the right method at the time and it paid off. I don’t get too fixated about what others say. Whatever I feel is right I totally commit to.”My method is someone who is an aggressive batsman that likes to take on the game, while understanding the game situation when I do play well. It is about trying to score runs and win games.”The more experiences I have in different conditions the more I will adapt. I have to find my method and what works best in each situation.”What also works best for Konstas is not having social media. He went from a relative unknown to a global attraction overnight with 281,000 followers on Instagram. Watching the ball and not his phone screen is now the focus.”I never had social media until I was 18. I had it for a year and now I have taken a break from it to be more present and try and get back in the Ashes squad,” Konstas said. “It is just about focusing on myself and trying to give it a good crack.”Everyone uses social media differently but I feel now is the right time to get off it. I don’t read my comments on Instagram. I don’t care what other people say to be honest but everyone has their opinion.”Konstas heads to India with confidence and valuable lessons already under his belt.”I’ve had a few experiences in the subcontinent,” Konstas said prior to taking centre stage at Tuesday’s ASICS kit launch at the SCG. “I was lucky enough to be in the MRF Academy last year and to tour Sri Lanka as well with the Aussie boys. Hopefully I can score plenty of runs and adapt to those conditions.”It is about trying to be in the present moment with any game I play whether it be my club team, NSW or Australia A ahead of the Ashes.”I got so much out of my first time in the Caribbean and facing a quality fast attack. The wickets were tough to bat on.For me it was about trying to find methods for scoring runs in those conditions and understanding the bounce is variable and trying to find another method, if I do go again.”

Gujarat Titans are in sixth place with eight points, while Delhi Capitals are in eighth place with six points

Shashank Kishore23-Apr-20241:29

Should Titans go with Williamson or Omarzai?

Match Details

Delhi Capitals (eighth) vs Gujarat Titans (sixth)

New Delhi, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – Axar, Kuldeep vs Rashid, Noor

There’s only so much wriggle room in the mid-table, with Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans desperately needing winning momentum in the second half of the league phase.The Capitals have swung from sublime to ridiculous. They have four of the best powerplay performances by a bowling team this season, but they also have the second highest economy rate in the first six overs, after conceding 125 and 88 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.The Capitals had nearly taken their net run rate positive after dismissing Gujarat Titans for the season’s lowest total last week in Ahmedabad, but that high was short lived as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma fired Sunrisers to 266 for 7 at the Kotla.While they lost that chase against SRH, the Capitals provided a peek into what their future could look like, with Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel batting like daredevils. But the youngsters are likely to be tested by the Titans, who have a spin attack comprising Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and R Sai Kishore.Capitals also have the spinners to match the Titans. Axar Patel had dream figures of 4-0-29-1 in a game where over 450 runs were scored, while Kuldeep Yadav bounced back after a first-over shellacking from Abhishek to take four wickets. They could capitalise against one of the slowest top orders this season and a middle order that has lacked the role-clarity that was so crucial to their success in the previous two years. The spinners on both sides, however, will have to contend with a venue that has traditionally been a nightmare to bowl on with its short square boundaries.Related

• Axar, Mukesh speak out against Impact Player rule: 'It only works for a batter's convenience'

• Head starts, a Dhoni finish, and Narine's maiden ton

• An extra over for one bowler – would it help counter the battering in T20s?

Form Guide

Capitals LWWLL (last five matches, most recent first)

Titans WLWLL

Previous meeting

Titans were bowled out for 89, a total that the Capitals chased down in 8.5 overs. The fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed made the difference for DC that evening in Ahmedabad.

Team news and impact player strategy – A game for Kushagra?

Delhi Capitals

Mitchell Marsh is unavailable for the remainder of their campaign due to a hamstring strain. Ishant is also a doubtful starter as he continues to manage back spasms.Prithvi Shaw is likely to be subbed in or out for one of Khaleel Ahmed or Mukesh Kumar depending on whether Capitals bat or bowl first. If they are in trouble batting first and need an extra batter as an impact player, they could consider bringing in Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra.Probable XII: 1 David Warner, 2 , 3 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Abishek Porel, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sumit Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Mukesh Kumar, 12 Gujarat Titans
Titans are likely to swap Sai Sudharsan and Mohit Sharma as the Impact Player, depending on whether they bat or bowl first. While Sudharsan’s performances have been middling, Mohit has the fifth-best economy rate in the death overs among those who have bowled at least 10 overs since IPL 2023.Probable XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha, 3 , 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 David Miller, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 David Warner has scored 37 runs in his last four innings•BCCI

In the Spotlight – Warner and Gill

David Warner has scores of 1, 8, 10 and 18 in his last four innings. He has played the last two games with a finger injury he picked up while attempting a lap sweep on April 12. Jake Fraser-McGurk is making heads turn with his powerplay hitting – a strike rate of 236 off his first 10 deliveries – and presenting a case to be considered for the opening slot. While there’s no imminent threat to Warner’s place, another low score could give Capitals something to think about.Shubman Gill was outstanding in IPL 2023, where he had a strike rate of more than 160 in six of his seven fifty-plus scores. This season, he has managed only one half-century in eight games, with his total tally at 289 runs. His form has somewhat mirrored his team’s batting fortunes and a big second half for Gill could be the boost Titans need to make a pitch for the playoffs for the third successive season.

Stats that matter

• The head-to-head between Anrich Nortje and Shubman Gill reads: three dismissals in six innings at an average of 11.30.
• The Capitals’ powerplay economy of 10.37 is the second highest among all teams this season.
• Umesh Yadav has a favourable match-up against Warner, with five dismissals in 11 innings.
• Rishabh Pant has fallen three times to legspin this season.

Pitch and conditions – Rain on the radar?

Last year, the re-laid pitches at the Kotla offered lateral movement and bounce for the seamers. This season, the Capitals played their first few home games in Vishakapatnam to give the pitches in Delhi time to recover after hosting the WPL. On their return to Delhi last week, records tumbled when Sunrisers smashed 266, and the curator expects another run-fest. There was a thunderstorm that forced both teams to abort their training sessions on match-eve.

Quotes

“There are still a lot of things to learn for Jake Fraser-McGurk. He isn’t a finished product and there is no better place to learn than the IPL. He needs to make it big like [Yashasvi] Jaiswal last night. He is a terrific kid; I like the way he is learning. We aren’t stopping him from doing the things he wants to do but we are also trying to make him learn a few things on the run.”

“A lot of people say Tasmania is a bit like a mini NZ, so I’m looking forward to getting over there”

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2022New Zealand allrounder Jimmy Neesham is set for his Big Bash League (BBL) debut after having signed with Hobart Hurricanes as a replacement player for Pakistan allrounder Faheem Ashraf who is set to be part of Pakistan’s Test series against England and New Zealand.In September earlier this year, Neesham had turned down a New Zealand central contract, committing to various T20 tournaments. Like Neesham, Trent Boult had also stepped away from his national contract to play T20 tournaments around the world, with Martin Guptill recently joining them as a T20 freelancer. A day after being released from his New Zealand contract, Guptill was announced as a replacement player for Melbourne Renegades in the upcoming BBL season. Boult (Melbourne Stars) and Colin de Grandhomme (Adelaide Strikers), who had recently retired from international cricket to pursue T20 opportunities, will also be in action in the BBL.Neesham brings with him rich T20 experience, having already played in the IPL and CPL, and recent form. He has struck at almost 185 at the death (between overs 17 and 20) in T20 cricket this year.Related

• New era at Hobart Hurricanes as they chase an elusive title

• Guptill joins Renegades in BBL following release from NZ contract

• de Grandhomme retires from international cricket

“I’m really excited to be involved with the Big Bash for the first time this year,” Neesham said.”I’ve heard great things about the Hurricanes set up, and the list this year looks incredibly strong, so to be able to play even a small part in what I hope will be a successful tournament for the franchise is a really great opportunity for me.”A lot of people say Tasmania is a bit like a mini New Zealand, so I’m looking forward to getting over there, meeting the guys, and playing the role that is asked of me for the team.”The BBL, which will run from December 13 to February 4, will clash with the Super Smash, New Zealand domestic T20 competition, and the ongoing Lanka Premier League (LPL).

Former captain still insists that team can win the T20 World Cup if all first-choice picks are fit and healthy

Andrew McGlashan14-Aug-2021Ricky Ponting has questioned the depth in Australian cricket after the poor T20 results on the recent tours of West Indies and Bangladesh but believes the team can still challenge for the World Cup if their strongest side is available.Australia ended the twin tours with an 2-8 scoreline across the two T20 contests which was capped off by being skittled for 62, their lowest T20 total, in the final match in Dhaka.While Ponting acknowledged the challenging conditions in Bangladesh he was concerned that performances got worse as the matches went on. Only Mitchell Marsh emerged with an enhanced reputation with the bat although the bowling attack largely performed creditably.”The lack of knowhow and skill in those conditions brought us undone again,” Ponting told Tim Paine on the Test captain’s radio show. “It’s been the achilles heel for Australian cricket for as long as I can remember – more so in Test cricket, but we’ve always found a way to be very competitive in Sri Lanka and India in white-ball cricket. Just goes to show the depth around Australia cricket is not where it needs to be so there’s some work to do there.”The T20 World Cup is not far away so hopefully we get all the boys fit and healthy, because I still think with everyone fit and healthy in the UAE that Australian team can push really hard to win the title. Let’s keep our fingers crossed we can put our strongest XI on the field.”Captain Aaron Finch was ruled out of the Bangladesh series with a knee injury which meant Australia were missing up to eight players who could be considered among first picks including David Warner, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis from the batting order.”There were a lot of names not there…but it almost seemed they got worse during that series,” Ponting said. “There’s no doubt those conditions were really difficult, but that’s the worry for me. They’ve been there long enough and done some training on wickets you’d have thought were quite similar to what they played on yet the further the series went, whether a lack of confidence or skill or game awareness, I’m sure they would have been shattered.”It now seems likely that a number of the Australia players will prepare for the World Cup by returning to the IPL for its resumption next month although Pat Cummins is not expected to be available due to the birth of his first child.Ponting, the head coach of Delhi Capitals, said he was still waiting for confirmation on whether he would have Smith, who is recovering from an elbow injury, and Stoinis available but sees it as their best opportunity to be tuned up for the World Cup.”There’s no doubt it’s their best preparation, in those exact conditions playing probably the strongest domestic T20 tournament in the world,” he said. “I’m not saying it just because I want some of the Australian players there with Delhi, but it sounds like our domestic season will be pushed back so they’ll be no domestic cricket here before the T20 World Cup, so preparation wise it’s spot on.”Not sure if they’ll be any restrictions on the bowlers going there, there may well be, but certainly the guys like Smith, Davey, Maxi, Stoinis who have been out of cricket for three or fourth months they need to get back into the groove.”

Still time for batsman to rebuild trust says captain

Andrew Miller04-May-2020Eoin Morgan, England’s white-ball captain, says the “door is still open” for Alex Hales to earn a recall to the T20 World Cup squad, but only if he can rebuild the trust that was lost when he was axed from last summer’s 50-over World Cup squad for failing a second test for recreational drug use.
Prior to his fall from grace, Hales was a member of the England side that reached the final of the last T20 World Cup, in India in 2016, and had been a key player throughout the 50-over team’s rise from ignominy after the 2015 World Cup – including a then-record 171 against Pakistan in 2016 and another century in England’s world-record 481 for 6 against Australia two years later.Having previously stated that he was targeting an England return for the 20-over World Cup in October and November, Hales demonstrated his enduring value as a T20 batsman with impressive stints for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash and Karachi Kings in the PSL prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.ALSO READ: Fines doubled but 21-day ban scrapped as ECB update recreational drug policiesHowever, he has not been considered for England selection since March 2019, and speaking at the launch of the Abu Dhabi T10, which is scheduled to take place after the T20 World Cup in November, Morgan reiterated that Hales would be required to rebuild that lost trust before he could be included in any future international plans.”In terms of what that looks like, practically, it’s human nature, it’s about developing trust,” Morgan said. “I don’t think you can put a time limit on gaining back that trust, and that’s not just with me, that’s with every member of the squad, the backroom staff, the selectors.”And that does take time. We’re in May, so it’s 11 months ago that the incident happened with Alex, so it’s actually not that long ago that it happened.”What happened was actually quite considerably harmful to the environment, which obviously led to the breakdown in trust between Alex and our players, so to say, how long that will take to regain, we don’t know, but certainly the door is still open for that trust to be built back up.”Hales’ hopes, however, are likely to be hit by the lack of opportunity to impress in the build-up to the tournament.Eoin Morgan congratulates Alex Hales after his half-century in the T20 Blast quarter-final•AFP via Getty Images

The ECB have been in discussions in recent weeks with the government and other sports over the feasibility of events taking place in bio-secure environments, and on Tuesday Tom Harrison, the chief executive, will appear before the Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee to discuss the board’s findings.Morgan added that England’s players were due to be briefed by the ECB later on Monday, to be brought up to speed with the latest developments.But, with the season already postponed until July 1 at the earliest, he conceded that the ECB was likely to prioritise its two Test series against West Indies and Pakistan, and that his white-ball squad may have to “make do” with whatever opportunities come their way.ALSO READ: Harrison faces DCMS select committee to discuss Covid-19 impact“For the last month, everybody has struggled to get a sense of what’s possible and what might or might not happen,” Morgan said. “But the news in the last week has been more positive about sport returning than it has been in the previous three weeks.”There was a stage when the idea of playing any sport over the next four or five months seemed impossible, but so long as the options given are government-approved, it seems a lot more likely that there might be some cricket. I’ve not given up yet!”With doubts about the feasibility of Australia’s ODI and T20I tour in early July, England’s likeliest chance of international opposition ahead of the T20 World Cup could be to repurpose their three ODIs against Ireland in September, and play T20Is instead.”We have to make do,” he added. “If Tests were going on, there would be ways and means we could have meaningful practice games in and around those Ireland games in a similar environment.”We could have proper opposition and maybe use the England Lions there too in order to make it as highly competitive as possible.”However, given the current uncertainty all around the world, he insisted that all teams would be in the “same boat” going into October’s tournament.”I think if the T20 World Cup goes ahead in the slot that it’s been allocated at the moment, we will have certainly have played a limited amount of cricket before then,” he said.”One of the big positives before the outbreak of the virus was that the guys were going to play all of the Pakistan league, all of the IPL, all of the T20 Blast, and get a lot of exposure to T20 cricket in the build-up and hence lots of opportunity for positions.”But I think given the circumstances, we’ll have to wait and see how much cricket we play and the opportunities that land on guys’ laps. They’ll have to make the most of them because they are very limited ones at the moment.”

The substitute fielder kept wickets on the fifth day of the Wellington Test after Watling picked up a hamstring injury

Mohammad Isam in Wellington12-Mar-2019Peter Bocock was helping some of the New Zealand players with their warm-up drills on the fifth morning of the Wellington Test against Bangladesh when he heard his name being mentioned. BJ Watling walked towards him minutes later and told him to get ready. It was 15 minutes before play was to start.As it emerged, Watling had a hamstring injury, and the New Zealand team management didn’t want to risk fielding him. And they also didn’t want Tom Latham, the back-up keeper, to move from the slip cordon. Bocock, out of nowhere, was going to keep wickets for New Zealand in a Test match.”I definitely wasn’t thinking that I would donning the gloves when I was having my morning coffee, that’s for sure,” Bocock said after New Zealand had wrapped up an innings-and-12-run win.”About 15 minutes before the start of play, I was helping the guys with the throwdowns, when I overheard something. BJ told me to be ready, and take a couple (of catches). I was told 15 minutes before the start of play.”Bocock, who plays for Northern Districts in New Zealand’s first-class competition, had a race against time on his hands to get some sort of workable gear ready, but found his “team-mates” to be helpful enough. Watling gave him his shirt and pads, while Latham let him borrow his gloves.”I actually used Tom Latham’s gloves. I am sponsored by Kookaburra, so that worked out perfectly. I wore BJ’s pads. My sub fielding shirt was a little bit big so I borrowed BJ’s,” Bocock explained.Tim Southee celebrates a wicket with Peter Bocock•Getty Images

Within minutes, Bocock was standing behind the stumps, with Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Neil Wagner steaming in.Incidentally, substitute fielders were allowed to replace wicketkeepers only from October 2017, when the rule preventing such a thing from happening was changed.So how did the slip cordon react, did he ask them many questions? He did.”I asked them where BJ has been standing, and what’s BJ’s plan to a particular bowler. Does he stand on the leg-side a lot to someone like Wagner? I have kept to Wagner couple of times,” Bocock revealed.”It obviously would have been lovely to get a catch. I was pretty close a couple of times, just missing the outside edge. Few from Wagner missing the gloves.”Bocock had originally been summoned by New Zealand manager Mike Sandle from the Northern Districts A side to help the New Zealand players. He then filled in as a substitute fielder on the fourth day when Kane Williamson, the captain, went off to get scans on his injured shoulder.Understandably, the experience has left the 27-year-old happy, though it wasn’t quite a real Test debut. “I would love (to play for New Zealand). Every kid has the dream to walk out with the Black Caps. It is a major goal. I am lucky enough to spend time in that environment as a sub fielder,” he said.

The left-arm spinner will be taken to hospital for treatment, and is expected to recover in 48 hours, which probably means the team management will only be able to decide on his availability for the first Test in Cape Town on the morning of the match

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2018India left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja could be a doubtful starter for the first Test against South Africa, which begins on Friday in Cape Town. Jadeja has been suffering from “viral illness” for the last two days, according to a BCCI release. He will be taken to hospital for treatment, and is expected to recover fully in the next 48 hours, which means the team management will probably only be able to decide on his availability on the morning of the match.Shikhar Dhawan, meanwhile, has recovered from a minor ankle injury that he sustained before India’s departure for South Africa, and is available for selection.If Jadeja is unable to play in Cape Town, India will most likely go in with the offspinner R Ashwin as the lone specialist spinner. Jadeja and Ashwin were expected to contest that role in the bowling attack, with captain Virat Kohli hinting before the tour that India would make that call based on the distribution of right- and left-hand batsmen in the opposition line-up. By this logic, Jadeja may have been the frontrunner for the lone spinner’s role since South Africa are likely to have only two left-handers in their top seven.

The seven-ODI series at home against New Zealand, starting October 8, is set to be Dane van Niekerk’s first as South Africa Women’s captain

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-20161:11

‘We are competing against the best’ – van Niekerk

The seven-ODI series at home against New Zealand, starting October 8, is set to be Dane van Niekerk’s first as South Africa Women’s captain.Van Niekerk was announced captain in June, after Mignon du Preez stepped down from the role to focus on her batting.”It’s definitely not going to be an easy task taking on New Zealand, but I’m sure that we have the team to do the job,” Van Niekerk said. “It’s just a question of us doing the right things and sticking to the basics and I’m sure we’ll do well. We want to seal our place in next year’s World Cup and this series is just another step towards that goal.”Neither wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty nor seamer Shabnim Ismail figure in the 15-member squad, as they are currently subject to a CSA disciplinary hearing. CSA is to make an announcement on the matter once the disciplinary process is complete.Seamer Marcia Letsoalo is the other member of the squad from the home ODIs against West Indies Women in February to miss out. In place of the three omitted players, the squad includes batsman Lara Goodall, left-arm seamer Moseline Daniels and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta. Jafta, 21, has not played any international cricket so far.The first three ODIs of the series form part of the ICC Women’s Championship, and therefore count towards qualification for the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England next year. South Africa are currently fifth on the points table, behind New Zealand at fourth.South Africa Women squad: Dané van Niekerk (capt.), Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Suné Luus, Chloe Tryon, Dinesha Devnarain, Odine Kirsten, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta, Moseline Daniels, Andrie Steyn

A third century in as many innings from Quinton de Kock extended South Africa A’s domination of the first unofficial Test against India A in Wayanad

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2015
ScorecardQuinton de Kock made his third hundred on tour to India•PTI

A third century in as many innings from Quinton de Kock extended South Africa A’s domination of the first unofficial Test against India A in Wayanad. He made 113 runs off 102 balls, ransacked 107 runs at the rate of 5.7 per over with Dane Vilas for the seventh wicket and took the total to 542.Unlike in the one-day tri-series earlier this month when he opened the batting, de Kock manned the No. 7 position and had the comfort of walking out at 307 for 5. His innings included 13 fours and three sixes and continues to make a strong case for himself when the senior team tour India in October. His partner during that rollicking seventh-wicket stand, Vilas cruised to 75 off 74 balls, with 10 fours and two sixes and has not fallen that far behind in the contest for the wicketkeeper’s position with the Test side.Axar Patel as India A’s only source of control, and threat, bowling 39 overs for only 115 runs and picking up four wickets. He was the only man, on condition of bowling at least 11 overs, to concede less than three runs an over. The other specialist spinner, Jayant Yadav, got a bigger workload – 42 overs, but leaked 177 runs for his two wickets. There was very little on offer for the seamers, with Abhimanyu Mithun and Ishawar Pandey combining to bowl 44 overs, only four of which were maidens, for 174 runs and two wickets.That trend continued when India A came out to bat. It was offspinner Dane Piedt who removed the openers. Shreyas Iyer appeared comfortable at No. 3, so much that he relied on boundaries to secure 40 of his 49 runs. The problem, though, was he was bowled with two overs left to stumps and India A went back to the pavilion at 122 for 3 after 34.5 overs. A healthy run-rate, of course, but they are 420 runs behind.

Former New Zealand assistant coach Trent Woodhill has blamed the New Zealand team management for the “unfathomable” treatment of Ross Taylor

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2013Former New Zealand assistant coach Trent Woodhill has blamed the New Zealand team management for the “unfathomable” treatment of Ross Taylor, saying he sensed the trouble brewing during the team’s tour of the West Indies last year. Taylor took temporary leave of absence from New Zealand cricket after losing his Test captaincy in December 2012, and returned to the national side for the T20 series against England.”During the West Indies tour I was really frustrated with the way Ross Taylor was being treated, not by anyone other than the manager and a few of the senior players who weren’t giving him the support that he needed,” Woodhill told . “I don’t think it was ever about Ross and Brendon. It was always about management. To me, Brendon should want to captain his country and I was all for a split captaincy, but it’s just the way it was done [that was the problem].”After the World Twenty20 I closed the book on New Zealand, but the way Ross was treated and is being treated I just feel bitter towards their treating [of] one of the best human beings I’ve ever met. Ross Taylor is literally the nicest guy you could ever meet and the most respectful and down to earth, and the way they treated him [was unfathomable].”Following his removal from Test captaincy, Taylor said he “never” received support from Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, during his time as captain and that he was “surprised” by the timing of the decision that came after he had led New Zealand to victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo.Woodhill, who is from Australia, was involved with the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League and will be part of the Delhi Daredevils support staff during the IPL. When asked about why he wasn’t appointed the New Zealand coach, instead of Hesson, he said, “The New Zealanders didn’t want a foreigner. They had issues with [former Australian coach and director of cricket] John Buchanan – he was ostracised, and still is – and the manager, players’ association rep and new CEO [David White] all just wanted a Kiwi in there.”