KEY POINTS:
Rate him as a one-day player or not, Stephen Fleming leaves a massive hole in the Black Cap ODI team.
Fleming was the incumbent opener and the best we have had for some time. There are now two ends to fill out of the three of Jamie How,
Lou Vincent and Brendan McCullum. Peter Fulton would make four but he's injured.
We've argued the merits of McCullum opening time and time again; statistics show he contributes more as a closer batting at seven or eight. Fleming's retirement could be the making of him at the top.
Previously the talented stroke player saw his role at the top to generate a strike rate and he often felt he went too hard too early. This could be the opportunity to temper his play, set himself to play the ball on its merits and bat for longer, which could be said for Vincent.
He is our most confused cricketer. "Blast or accumulate?" he asks himself regularly and his answer is about as inconsistent as the results he produces.
There is an argument for Vincent to fit into the middle order, as he could be a very good 'scamperer' between the wickets, developing his innings to blasting at the end.
Wherever he bats, what he must do is argue his case with consistent contributions.
Jamie How's inclusion looks straightforward. He will open and be expected to be the one who bats deep into the innings. So by default his partner will be one of the above.
Expect it to be Vincent and if he sees himself as being responsible to get the scoring rate moving then expect more of the same - good, bad and occasionally great.
Ross Taylor has three tied up for the time being, but he needs runs soon. I'd like to see him at five at the top level. His technique against the new ball scares me but his hand-eye scares the odd bowler with fielding restrictions too.
Styris must be four and he is the man the rest of the team must bat around. Ideally he should be given time to play himself in once the initial assault is over.
Five, six and seven is where Craig McMillan would have played and while his form will be missed, he does not leave the team too exposed.
John Bracewell's theory of playing him at seven and having him as a sort of middle-to-lower innings (not death) hitter to launch an attack off was a good theory.
Arguably his replacement in the squad is Gareth Hopkins who is definitely not that sort of player. That makes the power of Jacob Oram attractive but there is an opportunity now for him to consolidate batting at five.
I like that, because I do not believe Oram to be a blaster from ball one sort of player.
If there is the desire to leave McCullum out of the top six, then Hopkins may get a golden opportunity to make the jump from back-up keeper to legitimate batsman.
Whatever the case and even with McMillan gone, the strength of this Black Caps' side will remain in its batting depth that stretches to Daniel Vettori at nine - but it has just a little less belligerence.