Cricket: ‘Upset’ Martin Guptill to fight for Black Caps future according to coach Gary Stead

Martin Guptill wants to fight for his Black Caps future. Photo / photosport.nz

Martin Guptill still aspires to play for New Zealand but it’s difficult to imagine the end of his illustrious career extending beyond a supporting role.

That was the message sent when the 36-year-old was omitted from the Black Caps’ squads to play limited-overs series against India, with the first of six matches coming in the shortest form in Wellington on Friday.

Guptill was always unlikely to feature in the T20 group, having not played a minute at the World Cup, but his exclusion from the ODI side would sting this country’s third-highest runscorer in 50-over cricket.

After seizing Guptill’s opening spot in T20s, Finn Allen has been handed a prime opportunity to do likewise in ODIs, with the 23-year-old seen as a superior option to get the Black Caps off to fast starts.

The preference for Allen will almost certainly continue as the selectors plan for next year’s ODI World Cup and, barring injury or a dramatic loss in form for the youngster, Guptill will likely have to settle for a spot on the fringes of the 15-man squad for that tournament.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead confirmed that an “upset” Guptill intended to still fight for that spot, but Allen’s selection was made with a view of him taking strike next year in India.

“We had a decision to make when we look ahead to next year’s World Cup,” Stead said. “Seeing Finn emerge so well, and where Gup’s at, it was a call we needed to make right now.

“From our perspective, it is that ability to keep looking forward and crystal-ball gazing a little bit into what we think it might look like in a year’s time.”

Allen made his ODI debut against Ireland in July and opened alongside Guptill in the series victory in the West Indies, where Kane Williamson was absent. When the skipper returned for the Chappell-Hadlee series and Devon Conway shifted back into an opening role, Guptill was out cheaply in the first two games before Allen was preferred and made 35 in the dead rubber.

The Wellington batsman then illustrated his ability to score quickly at the T20 World Cup – though he never repeated the heights of his tournament-opening knock of 42 from 16 balls against Australia – and Stead indicated he would receive a similar brief in the one-day game.

“His strike rate is one of the best out there,” the coach said. “That’s the point of difference that he can bring – his ability to take on attacks from the very start. That’s the reason he got the nod there.”

That was once squarely Guptill’s domain and Stead described his omission as owing less to the veteran’s quality than Allen’s potential.

“He was obviously quite upset,” Stead said. “It’s nothing against Martin Guptill and the player he’s been for New Zealand. He’s been fantastic – arguably one of our best white-ball players when you look at the last decade or so. But it’s an opportunity we felt we needed to take going forward.

“Seven-thousand ODI runs says it’s not necessarily about technique or tactical - he’s shown that for a long period of time. It’s a tough decision that we made, but we thought this was the right decision, right now.

“We felt Finn needed to get that opportunity under his belt, and unfortunately they’re competing with each other for the same spot.”

Competing for a spot is something Williamson has rarely done but the captain is now chasing another Indian Premier League assignment after being released by Sunrisers Hyderabad today. The 32-year-old was last season retained by the franchise at a cost of $2.8 million but endured a rough run of form in his eighth year with the team.