Former New Zealand cricketer Ross Taylor has made a stunning claim that pacer Neil Wagner was forced to retire from international cricket. He also hinted at possible unrest in the New Zealand cricket team.
Neil Wagner, 37, called time on his Test career for New Zealand after he was told that he would not be picked in the XI in the series against Australia. He announced in an emotional press conference before the start of the first Test.
Wagner, however, did take the field during the first Test as a substitute fielder and carried the drinks on occasion.
Speaking on ESPN’s Around the Wicket podcast, Aaron Finch said that he was unable to make sense of Wagner’s absence from the series, and that Australia’s mammoth 10th-wicket partnership in the first innings of the Wellington Test wouldn’t have happened had Wagner been there.
Green and Hazlewood added 116 runs for the last wicket, taking the game away from New Zealand.
“I couldn’t believe Neil Wagner wasn’t in the XI. Because he would have intimidated Josh Hazlewood at least. He might have stopped Cameron Green from scoring as well. I thought that was a really interesting decision,” Finch said.
Ross Taylor agreed with Finch and felt that Wagner’s presence would have made a huge difference.
“It’s not only his experience and the way he goes about it, but you know, the opposition, you heard [Pat] Cummins talking about the plans that they had for him. Experience plays a lot, but no, I agree with Finchy. If he comes around the wicket to Hazlewood, he might have got him away for a couple of boundaries or even a six. But I think for the prolonged time he would have attacked him for, I don’t think they would have got a 100-run partnership.
"I think it all makes sense a little bit now. There's no sugarcoating it. I think it's a forced retirement. If you listen to Wagner's press conference, he was retiring, but it was after this last Test match. So, he did make himself available," Taylor said while speaking on ESPN's Around the Wicket podcast.
"And to see that he isn't selected … I think I do like and you do need to plan for the future, but a one-off Test against Australia in a must-win situation, I wouldn't be looking much further than Neil Wagner. And I'm sure the Australian batters are sleeping easy that he's not in the side," Taylor added.
Here is the video:
Wagner bowed out of international cricket with 260 wickets in 67 Tests for New Zealand. He fought back tears as he confirmed his retirement from international cricket alongside Stead.
Wagner, who was born and raised in South Africa, migrated to New Zealand in 2008 and helped the Kiwis attain the top ranking in Tests and also win the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.
(PTI inputs)
