Craig Cumming, a former New Zealand cricketer, is not pleased with head coach Gary Stead’s tenacity with opener Finn Allen, who struggled in the field during the team’s most recent three-match ODI series against India. With the ODI World Cup in India less than nine months away, the hosts easily defeated the Kiwis 3-0. Allen, 23, scored two consecutive ducks and a 40, casting doubt on his inclusion in the New Zealand team. The cricketer had some great runs against Ireland and the West Indies when he made his 50-over debut the previous year, but he has since spiraled downward.
“I’m concerned about the style of cricketers we’re trying to produce. I want to produce Devon Conways, I want to produce Kane Williamson; the guys that have got craft and can bat and they’ve got more than one (skill)?,” Cumming told SENZ Mornings on Thursday. “Finn Allen at the moment, he’s young, he’s learning but (he’s in a) really important position for us at the top of the order and he seems to be at the moment a one-pace, one-line hitter.
“At the moment it’s failing and maybe Finn’s getting the experience, I mean they’ve got to stick with him, but he’s not producing enough at the moment.” Cumming compared Allen with India skipper Rohit Sharma, who is not just a strong hitter of the ball but also has the required skill set to play according to the situation. “You look at Rohit Sharma and the way they (India) play, yes they’re powerful but they also have skill in the way they go about executing their plans. I just worry at the moment that Finn’s sort of been thrown into that mix where it’s one pace, batter up, it’s a baseball style mentality; try to hit home runs and that’s all we want.”
