KEY POINTS:
For decades New Zealand teams operated on a revolving door policy, the hinges well oiled as players came and went on selectors' whims.
Three successive tests was a lengthy tenure; six matches and you were part of the dressing room furniture.
Those days are long gone. New Zealand's
most productive decade, the 1980s, was a period of relatively few changes and a philosophy of trusting your picks to succeed.
Coming home from Australia, where things went badly wrong, the national selectors, panel manager Glenn Turner, John Wright and Dion Nash, will today name 12 players for the first test against the West Indies starting at Dunedin's University Oval on Thursday.
There is a new regime, with Andy Moles replacing John Bracewell as coach, and a thinning out of the backroom support staff. So will the selectors follow suit and figure this is no bad time to shake things up with new faces in place and fresh ideas in the air?
The batting and allrounder departments which will have exercised the selectors' minds most yesterday.
Aaron Redmond's seven tests - all overseas - have produced two scores over 70 and a host of misses, and a failure to fully convince. His last test dismissal in Adelaide was wretched. Still, they might feel he deserves a chance in New Zealand conditions.
If not, who to partner Jamie How at the top of the order - and should How stay there or drop to No 3?
Tim McIntosh and Matthew Bell are the form openers in New Zealand domestic cricket, both with two State Championship centuries, plus McIntosh made a steady, composed 78 against the West Indies yesterday.
Importantly, he bats time and he's a lefthander. The left-right combination has plenty of appeal. Bell has been tried twice and discarded. McIntosh, 28 on Thursday, should be ready to take his chance.
Jacob Oram, over his hairline finger fracture and having got through a decent bowling workout in Napier yesterday, could return. He hasn't had a first-class bat since returning from Bangladesh in late October. In a sense, he's taken on trust.
James Franklin, with big runs and steady bowling for Wellington on his comeback from a long knee injury layoff, must be close. The pair could share the third seamer's role, Franklin adds left-arm variety and Vettori or Franklin batting at No 9 would significantly beef up the middle-lower order.
Possible NZ 12:
Jamie How, Tim McIntosh, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, James Franklin, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Iain O'Brien, Chris Martin.
