Cricket: Tri-series set to become a one-off memory

Tim Seifert is bowled by Marcus Stoinis. Photosport

Looking forward to another T20 tri-series next summer? Australia and India perhaps?

Forget it. New Zealand Cricket's big focus in the 2018-19 season will be all ODIs. The tri-series is set to become a one-off memory, perhaps to be revived in a quiet season at some point in the future.

The World Cup is in England in the middle of next year and NZC will endeavour to leave all the stones turned over to give New Zealand the best possible chance of winning the trophy for the first time.

This theme was in place last summer too, where in the period from mid-September until the end of March, New Zealand played 33 internationals, 19 of which were ODIs.

The noises were already coming out of the NZC that every chance had to be given to the coaching staff and management to get things right for an event still two years away.

So get set for a plethora of ODIs and perhaps as few as four tests at home next season, which would replicate this season. Look for T20 internationals to be less prevalent that this summer.

After the two tests against the desperately poor West Indies, which started the season in December, New Zealand went on, and are still on, a run of 24 limited-overs internationals before two tests against England which will complete the summer.

It's worth pondering — and with the codicil that the five-game ODI series against England, plus the two tests are still to come — whether this is the least memorable home season in recent memory.

From the end of the second West Indies test in early December in Hamilton, New Zealand have played 19 matches of 50 or 20-over duration back to back, with five to come.

India are making a short-form visit to New Zealand next summer, which will be an attraction, given the size of the Indian community in the country, plus their standing at those forms — they are No 1 in ODIs and No 3 in T20s at the moment.

New Zealand are due to visit the United Arab Emirates late this year for three tests, three ODIs and three T20s against Pakistan.

Incoming visits are expected from Sri Lanka (tests and short form), India (limited overs only), Australia (a short one-day visit) and Bangladesh for tests and limited overs.

That sounds like another four tests plus a bucket of short matches.

Consider New Zealand's last overseas test was in India in October 2016.

Now think back to when they have seven tests in Zimbabwe, South Africa and India from July-October that year.

Before that there were in in Australia in late 2015, two in England in May 2015, three in the UAE in November 2014 and three in the West Indies in the middle of that year. How times have changed.

The tri-series worked a treat at least on this side of the Tasman. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.