Cricket: General Hadlee's flawed strategy

There are times when Sir Richard Hadlee reminds you of those old First World War generals who sent their troops over the top while having a quiet cup of tea in some remote safe-house, well clear of the frontline.

If you listen to New Zealand Cricket's convener of selectors, the national side have not fallen into one of their worst slumps in five years, but are merely suffering some short-term pain as they rebuild towards another glorious chapter in the history of the empire - the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

It may be that his men, having sometimes been introduced to one another the night before the game, are being cut down by better prepared and better organised opponents at every turn.

But the heavily bemedalled one seems happy to bask in the vision of a future World Cup triumph, rather than acknowledge the carnage taking place at the moment.

While the convener has been planning the Return to Africa, New Zealand have managed to remain winless since the ICC Knockout success in Kenya, either losing or drawing the four tests so far played, and being beaten in six consecutive one-day internationals.

At the time, the 5-0 defeat at the hands of South Africa was put down to injuries and the strength of the opposition, and the series against Zimbabwe at home was, rather patronisingly, seen as a perfect opportunity to bounce back to some winning form.

But Tuesday night's 70-run drubbing under lights at Taupo was, if anything, even more emphatic than those that the South Africans dished out, and left New Zealand looking disorganised, out of form, and not entirely certain of the best direction forward.

The brave new world seems to have turned into one of those depressingly familiar times, when anyone playing domestic cricket in New Zealand is in grave danger of being called up for duty with the national side.

So far, the number of players Hadlee has selected since the team left for Australia and Singapore in August is approaching 30, roughly half the number of genuine first-class cricketers in the country - and almost enough for three teams.

To be fair, injuries have meant unavoidable changes.

But even after taking that into account there have been some frightful gambles, and it seems the criteria for being selected consist mainly of making an Academy or "A" team, and then having the good fortune to be playing well as the convener wanders past.

For all their promise, it must be said that Cantabrian Chris Martin has an ordinary Shell Cup record and struggled last summer to make his provincial side while James Franklin has even less experience in domestic one-day cricket, and has been in and out of his Wellington Shell Cup lineup.

Hamish Marshall was another to be thrown in at the deep end after some questionable selection decisions, and while the young right-hander showed great defiance in the third test against South Africa, the fact remains that he still has a highest first-class score of 58.

It hardly seemed surprising that New Zealand's wet-behind-the-ears bowling attack proved no match for Zimbabwe's match-hardened batsmen on Tuesday, particularly as it appeared that the home side - coach David Trist apart - had been looking upon the tourists as slightly easier opponents after playing South Africa.

Hadlee, perhaps remembering the good old days when the Zimbabweans were the poor neighbours of international cricket, has already said the series is a good opportunity to blood new players before the "more difficult" opposition of Pakistan, and last weekend said he was prepared to experiment with new players as he looked towards the World Cup.

Quite what Zimbabwe must make of these comments is anyone's guess, but what is clear is that the tourists are aware of New Zealand's vulnerability, if not their apparent superiority complex.

"We think we can beat them," Zimbabwe's star batsman Andy Flower says simply.

And it's not hard to see why.