Daniel Richardson: Watling shouldn't keep against Zimbabwe

BJ Watling. Photo / Duncan Brown

When New Zealand coach John Wright picks his team to meet Zimbabwe today in a one-off test later this month, the man he chooses as his wicketkeeper should be a specialist.

There have been whispers that Northern Districts batsman BJ Watling might be asked to camp behind the stumps against the African nation after Reece Young's mixed series against Australia last month.

Watling has been given the opportunity to make a late push for the spot by keeping wicket for ND in the domestic T20 competition, despite regular gloveman and part-time international Peter McGlashan being fully fit.

ND management denied they were asked to give Watling a run by the New Zealand selectors but it all seemed a bit too convenient that he was given the gloves against Wellington at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday.

While Young's form in Australia with the bat was poor with scores of 0, 9, 2 and 11 not out, announcing Watling as the keeper in a bid to make the batting order stronger isn't the answer.

Keeping wicket in a test match requires experience. The player must have that domestic cricket background and know what it means to spend up to two days in the field, remaining alert the whole time and rallying the troops with plenty of chatter.

Granted, Zimbabwe might not bat for two days in Napier, but blooding Watling through limited overs matches would be a better option - if he is the man Wright wants behind the stumps in the long term.

His performance against Wellington was passable as he nabbed a regulation grab from Trent Boult, but he also shelled a skied chance, which you would expect a test-quality keeper to collect.

Young is the incumbent and former New Zealand selector Dion Nash said the Cantabrian deserved another chance.

"What's wrong with Reece Young? He's a good batsman and I would argue that down the order he scores as many runs as any in domestic cricket anyway.''

Nash is right.

Young's first-class batting average of 30.58 from 90 games is only marginally lower than Watling's of 33.07 from 26 games, while other wicketkeepers around the country provide similar reading.

Auckland's Gareth Hopkins, who has been tried and discarded at test level, averages 35.02, CD's Kruger van Wyk scores at 38.66 per innings, Otago's Derek de Boorder has the best numbers with a mark of 40.73, while McGlashan averages 29.31.

The theory that Watling would be a better selection than Young because he could provide more runs is a flawed concept.

For starters, from six test matches - albeit mostly as an opener - Watling averages only 24.50, with one half century, which is hardly a startling record; Young's five tests have yielded 169 runs at 24.14, with a top score of 57.

But relying on your keeper to make big runs is taking away from the core responsibility of the top six, who are picked to put the numbers on the board.

Blaming your wicketkeeper for not making a huge team total is giving the batsmen a free pass. They weren't consistent enough against Australia anyway, but that's another story.

Ironically, in giving McGlashan a rest from the gloves to promote Watling, ND might be taking away the opportunity for Wright to watch potentially New Zealand's best wicketkeeper.

Pigeonholed as a limited-overs specialist, many have been quick to forget that McGlashan regularly keeps to Black Caps Tim Southee and Boult and also has plenty of experience behind the stumps to Daniel Vettori's bowling.

It was only two summers ago that McGlashan set a New Zealand first-class record when he pouched 12 catches in a four-day encounter against Central Districts in Whangarei.

But, if a man who can provide runs is what the selectors desire than Otago's de Boorder should be given a shot.

The 26-year-old would represent a better long-term investment with time on his side and he averages more than 40 in domestic cricket; Zimbabwe would be the perfect time to give a rookie a debut. But, most importantly, he is a specialist.