Kiwis have to wake up soon

New Zealand cricket will soon reach a point of no return if the cricket authorities don't wake up now.

Though the team's one-day record is decent, in Tests it is abysmal. A 2-0 defeat at the hands of South Africa once again underlined that the team just cannot cope with Test cricket.

It is a sad verdict on a team which could take on the best in the world just four years ago. Things have come to such a pass that the team struggles to even stretch a Test into five days.

There was much hope that new captain Daniel Vettori would infuse much-needed enthusiasm into the side. As a world class performer, Vettori was expected to lead by example.

Nothing much happened and the South Africans earned a few bonus days off at the expense of the Kiwis as the Tests did not go the distance.

Coach John Bracewell must take the major blame for the inept performances. The former Kiwi all-rounder has done nothing of note in his four years as coach.

Bracewell was a fighter in his playing days. He even managed to score a century in Tests despite being more known for his off spin bowling.

Instead of instilling those qualities, Bracewell has turned the team into a bunch of no-hopers. The fight seems to have gone off completely.

It is surprising that the New Zealand board have stuck to him despite the downslide. It feels that the board has just given up on the team.

What New Zealand need now are a Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe or even Chris Cairns to ignite the fire. That will only happen if the selections are made boldly and not to pander to the whims and fancies of the officials or the coach.

Importantly, the Kiwis need batsmen of quality. Only former captain Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris and probably Lou Vincent measure up to world standards.

Fleming is the still one of the best batsmen in the business though his previous batting failures have brought down his average. Styris has held the middle-order well when fit.

Vincent has been far too impulsive to really cement his place in the side. But the Kiwis must persist with him because of his fighting qualities.

However, Bracewell has been dogging Vincent for a long time now. He does not enjoy the coach's confidence and hence the axe always falls on him whenever the New Zealanders stumble.

The opening slots have always been open but the right choice has never been made. A batsman of Matthew Sinclair's calibre has been ignored despite having a far better record than some his replacements.

Craig McMillan, who has a decent Test record, was totally ignored in recent times. He proved he still had the talent when he stood out in both the World Cup and its Twenty20 version. But Bracewell had no faith in him.

New Zealand's batting strength lies in their lower order. But how many times will they bail out the team?

Jacob Oram, Vettori and Brendon McCullum have really bolstered the batting on numerous occasions.

The team has two genuine world-class bowlers in Shane Bond and Vettori. However, Bond is so injury-prone that he is more out than in the team.

When Bond and Vettori play, the New Zealand attack is strong and penetrative. The support bowlers like Chris Martin, James Franklin and Kyle Mills are decent performers.

Bond's injuries have also added to New Zealand's woes. In a way, it is responsible for some of the recent setbacks.

If New Zealand have to get back on track, Bracewell must go. His idiosyncrasies have cost the team aplenty.

An experienced coach like John Wright is readily available to take over. Wright did well with India and he may be just the tonic the Kiwis need.

The search must go on for younger players to take the opening slot. It would not be a bad idea to put Vincent back to the opening position.

They must persist with Ross Taylor despite a quiet start to Test cricket. He could one day become the world-class batsman New Zealand are looking for.

The batting has to change and new blood must be infused to find the right combination. It is time the New Zealand selectors got ruthless in the interests of their side.

A strong New Zealand have always upset the world cricket order.