'Recalled' Ronchi wasn't stumped by Kiwi omission

Image
ANI Wellington [New Zealand]
Last Updated : Dec 23 2016 | 1:42 PM IST

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi has backed the national selectors' decision to drop him for the recently-concluded Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series, saying his omission was 'something that needed to happen' given his poor form in the previous series.

The 35-year-old's comments came after he was recalled in the ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Bangladesh beginning at the Hagley Oval on Boxing Day.

"I'd had an extended run with the team and didn't do as well as I should have been doing. I was fine with the whole situation. I understood. It's cricket and you can only play 11 people and if there's people doing better, they deserve to play," ESPNcricinfo quoted Ronchi, as saying.

Ronchi said he was not at all bothered by his omission as he was not performing well enough to be given games all the time.

"It [getting dropped] was something that needed to happen. It didn't bother me. I needed to be out of the team. You have to perform and if you're not performing, then you can't expect to be given games all the time," the New Zealand batsman said.

Ronchi's exclusion from the Australian series came after a prolonged run of modest returns. The wicketkeeper-batsman has managed just 254 runs in 34 ODIs at an average of 10.58 since February 2015.

On the recent tour of India, he notched up just seven runs in three ODIs he played for New Zealand.

However, Ronchi has found some form since his exclusion, having scored a century for Wellington in the Plunket Shield match; and was also among the top run-getters in the ongoing Super Smash T20 tournament with 165 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 166.66.

"I hadn't been making the runs [for New Zealand] so you just have to go back and get some confidence again playing for Wellington. That's been going well, so hopefully I can bring that back into this team,"he insisted.

Talking about the upcoming series against Bangladesh, Ronchi admitted that he has to try to employ a more restrained approach against the opposition.

"I have to give myself more time to get in, that's what I've been doing recently. I just need to realise you've got longer than what you think. And not try and do quite so much, even if it's five balls I don't need to get 30 runs off five balls," he said.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 23 2016 | 1:20 PM IST

Next Story