Cricket: Prospect of a series win may flick the switching

Black Caps’ choice is picking strongest team or giving Cup possibles a last shot.

To rotate or pick the best XI, that is the question for New Zealand ahead of the fifth and final ODI against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi starting late tonight.

So far, there has been a switchabout policy in place with coach Mike Hesson and fellow selector Bruce Edgar keen to give players as much chance as possible to push World Cup claims.

That squad is to be named on January 8. Tonight's game is the last international before that naming.

There will be four rounds of Ford Trophy domestic 50-over cricket before January 8, giving players a late opportunity but in reality those games may only serve to ink in one or two names at most.

That die has largely been cast.

But how badly do New Zealand want to win in Abu Dhabi at the possible expense of that rotation?

For those who think in these terms, it would mean New Zealand winning the entire tour - that is, the tests were split 1-1, as were the T20s. New Zealand would leave with more wins than losses across the three forms.

Or should this be one last opening for players like Anton Devcich, Dean Brownlie and possibly Jimmy Neesham or Matt Henry - who with eight wickets has been New Zealand's most successful in this series, but who probably sits in sixth spot out of six contenders for, most likely, five fast-medium spots?

Senior seamer Kyle Mills' groin injury and recovery period, still to be clarified, complicate that issue, but the point remains.

Those who should play on the basis of fewest games in the series are Neesham, offspinner Nathan McCullum and opener Martin Guptill, who have had two apiece.

Ross Taylor and Tom Latham have played all four, the only squad members to have done so along with captain Kane Williamson and wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi.

Williamson's fine 123 anchored New Zealand's 299 for five, in similar fashion to Younis Khan's 103 off 117 that took Pakistan to the brink of what would have been a remarkable victory, on a day they'd rather not have been playing cricket - Younis the most vocal on that, in the light of the Peshawar school massacre on Tuesday night.

Given that backdrop, his was a terrific innings, loaded with resolve, passion and no little skill as he withstood a fierce attack from New Zealand quick Adam Milne.

Milne, frequently topping the 150km/h mark, finished with one for 39, not a true reflection of his performance. In the four games thus far, he has conceded fewer runs per over than any other New Zealand bowler, 4.46. No mean feat at his pace.

"He was very good," captain Williamson said of Milne.

"He bowled very fast, which is what we want him to do, and picked up the key wicket of Shahid Afridi."

Williamson shied away from the question of whether Milne would play the last ODI.

"We've got a good crop of fast bowlers and there's a lot of talent there. We're backing them all but it's important we do manage their workloads. Moving forward, I'm sure that will be closely monitored."