The Black Caps have a new man who is practically indispensable in all three formats, writes Jason Pine. Photo / Photosport
The Black Caps have a new man who is practically indispensable in all three formats, writes Jason Pine. Photo / Photosport
OPINION:
When you think of the current Black Caps side, there are certain names that spring instantly to mind: The likes of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Tom Latham, Tim Southee, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson and Martin Guptill.
One name that doesn't jump automatically into your consciousness — but should —is a bloke who has quickly made himself practically indispensable in all three formats.
Daryl Mitchell.
What a year it's been for him. He hadn't even played 10 tests before the three-match series against England this year, during which he scored a record-breaking 538 runs at an average of 107.60 with centuries in all three tests (one of those at Lord's) and two fifties.
He's only batted six times in ODI's and already averages 103, while scoring at better than a run a ball. And in T20 internationals, he can bat anywhere in the top seven, strikes at 141 and hasn't been out in single figures in his last nine bats.
He's also become the Black Caps' Mr Fix-it.
Need someone to open the batting at the T20 World Cup? Yeah, I'll do that.
Need someone to take Kane Williamson's spot in the test side? Yep, I'll bat at three against India in India and get 60 for you.
And in the volatile and ever-changing backdrop of 50-over cricket, he can come in at 230/3 or 30/3 and do whatever the situation requires of him and his team.
New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell celebrates a half century against England in June. Photosport
And New Zealand hasn't really even scratched the surface of his bowling ability, which is handy enough to have picked up 200 wickets across the three formats, but for some reason is seldom used at international level.
He's an excellent fielder, especially in the slips, which is crucial with Ross Taylor now gone. He's a fierce competitor who is clearly unwilling to take a backwards step to anyone, and was the one New Zealand batter who changed things up to try to put the English test bowlers off their stride in the series loss over there this year. And he's clearly a very good team man, who is very popular with the other members of the side and speaks effusively about the pride he feels in wearing the fern.
Mitchell is also what you'd call a late bloomer. He'd been around the first class scene for several summers and was 27 years old when he finally earned his New Zealand call-up in 2019. Maybe that's part of the reason for his success, in that he'd played over 250 games of top-level cricket before being handed his black cap. But now, you can't drop him from any New Zealand side and he's a shoo-in for player of the year at the annual NZC awards.
We're almost at the stage now where those of us with long memories are willing to ease up — ever so slightly — on what his old man did to Christian Cullen when he was All Blacks coach.
