When Kane Williamson resigned from the red-ball captaincy at the end of 2022, Southee was a somewhat surprising selection to take the job from his fellow New Zealand great.
Tom Latham loomed as the more obvious choice, given the rarity of bowlers as captains across international cricket. Aside from Southee, Pat Cummins of Australia is the only other specialist bowler to lead his side.
However, in his 12 tests leading New Zealand, Southee’s returns have not been to the standard he’s set since his debut in 2008.
In those 12 tests, Southee has taken just 33 wickets at an average of just over 36, down on his career numbers of 380 wickets at 29.61. Comparatively, that average drops to 28.99 when not captain.
In particular, Southee’s form over the home summer has seen his place in the test side come under the microscope.
Despite captaining the Black Caps to their first series win over the Proteas, Southee took just two wickets at an average of 91.50 apiece. Then, in defeat to Australia, he took four wickets at 61.25 runs each.
After the series-deciding defeat to Australia in Christchurch, Southee cast doubt on his own place in the side, as the Black Caps head to Asia for a gruelling slog of six tests in batter-friendly conditions.
“We’ll see, we go to Asia and the make-up of the side changes slightly, with spin becoming the main threat in that part of the world,” he said in March. “We’ll see when we get there.”
Earlier this week, as the Black Caps named their squad to head to Asia to face Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and India, coach Gary Stead urged the need for rotation among the seam attack, with four fast bowlers picked to tour, including Matt Henry, Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke alongside their captain.
Reading between the lines, it’s highly unlikely that Southee features in all six tests over the coming months, before the Black Caps’ summer begins against England at the end of this year.
However, while it might be easy to stick the boot into Southee for his poor showings to start 2023, his numbers in the subcontinent are nothing short of world-class.
Against India, he’s taken 52 wickets at an average of 24.68. Actually in India – where pitches are intentionally prepared in a way that nullifies the strengths of players like Southee – that record is 20 wickets at an average of 28.70 from five tests.
By comparison, the world’s current top-ranked test fast bowler, Josh Hazlewood of Australia’s six tests in India have returned just nine wickets at an average of 32. Cummins’ record in India makes for similar reading, 11 wickets at 32.81 from four tests.
Those stats are no fluke in the Kiwi’s favour, either. In Sri Lanka, his record is 19 wickets from four tests at an average of just over 15.
In conditions where the best in the world struggle, Southee excels. Not to mention that the most experienced bowler after him is Matt Henry, who himself has played just 25 tests since his debut in 2015. Southee’s place in the side cannot be called into question before this tour.
Given the Black Caps’ schedule of six tests is split into four in India (including one against Afghanistan) and two in Sri Lanka – five of which will count for World Test Championship points – is it really the time to axe a player whose record reads among the world’s best?
Admittedly, at 35, Southee’s career has more yesterdays than tomorrows – that’s not in doubt.
But given the state of this Black Caps side as a team in transition with the expanding reach of franchise T20 leagues, now is not the time to ask questions of such a key player, especially when he’s the captain.
