Kiwi cricketers need ‘intense’ Oz system exposure to be world class: Edgar

AUCKLAND - Former New Zealand cricketer Bruce Edgar has urged New Zealand Cricket to strike a deal with Cricket Australia to allow their best young talent to be immersed in the “intense” Australian system.

Edgar said that the Black Caps- including young batsman Kane Williamson- needed to be constantly tested by a tougher brand of cricket.

“There are some very talented players [in New Zealand], but they need to be exposed to a more intense level,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Edgar, as saying.

“I see some of the batsmen play in the local [NZ] games and they get a double hundred or 250, but they look awful in international cricket because there’s a big gap.”

“A few years ago I wanted to see an acceleration development program implemented. I used Michael Clarke as an example. I said he turned up, scored 150 on his Test debut, and it came from being a part of that hard [Australian] school of cricket. Kane Williamson has done well, too, but the system in Australia is more ruthless,” he added.

Edgar was also concerned about New Zealand Cricket’s approach of Twenty20 competition being an asset for their game.

“You have to work out where you’re starting from and where you want to end up. There’s a lot more luck in Twenty20 and there’s a lot more skill in Test cricket. You can’t bluff your way through a Test match and ultimately you get found out,” Edgar said.

“The way I see it is New Zealand will play its domestic competition and I think that is fantastic … [but] they need to lift the bar overall,” he added. (ANI)