Cheers SHM. (I'm mostly lurking in threads I've already posted in, maybe one day I'll start reading new threads...).
And yeah, NZ are rubbish at the moment. We only beat Zimbabwe by 34 runs in a test, we lost away to Bangladesh in a ODI series. There is potential there, but not the mental strength and consistency.
Guptill: adequate opener, I quite like him but he's nothing special.
McCullum: huge disappointment. Not good enough to open, should be a wicketkeeper/batsman at 7, would be poor man's Gilchrist. Hugely arrogant with no reason. Will hit 4 4s and make 20 off 20 balls, then get out, no matter what format of game he's playing.
Taylor: I like, he's not as good as Crowe or Fleming but is a respectable top order bat
Williamson: looks like he has potential, seems to play good shots.
Ryder: the Kiwi Inzaman, big man and hits hard. No technique but averages 44.
Watling (?): haven't seen him, hasn't done much yet. Or Brownlee: similar.
Young: shouldn't be in the team, McCullum should be keeping.
Vettori: could play as a top 6 batsman based on his form over the last few years, and is our second top wicket-taker of all time.
Southee: thought he was going to be a legend when he started, but hasn't done much since getting 5 wickets the first time he bowled and then 77 off 40, putting on nearly 100 for the last wicket in a lost cause (v England, Napier 2008).
Bracewell: looks to have some good potential, comes from the right background (father and two uncles played for NZ). Haven't seen him play, hope him and Southee will form a partnership.
Martin: amazed he's still going, not hugely talented but big hearted and bowls straight. Our 4th highest test wicket-taker, just got 200 at the age of 36. Worst batsman in cricket history, watching him try to hit the ball is always light relief.
Basically we have 5 potentially good top order batsmen - but we're looking at averages of 38-44, not 48-50. We don't have anyone to play an anchor role. None of our bowlers have great averages, though a couple of them can bat, at least (we bat solid to 9, but 6 and 7 aren't great). Give us Ally Cook and a spare English strike bowler and we might be competitive, on a good day...