In terms of bowlers, there is no cause for immediate concern. While Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner have hung up their boots, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O\u2019Rourke, Jacob Duffy and others have taken up the mantle in style.<\/p>\n
Rachin Ravindra is the only Black Caps test top-order batter under the age of 30. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n
The batting ranks, though, paint a different picture. Of the Black Caps\u2019 first-choice test XI, only one of the top six \u2013 Rachin Ravindra<\/a> \u2013 is under 30 years of age.<\/p>\n Of the other five, captain Tom Latham has just turned 34, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell will both be 35 by year\u2019s end, while Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell will turn 36.<\/p>\n That will almost certainly see a period where all five retire within one cycle, akin to the team of 2008 that left Ross Taylor as the senior batter in his early 20s.<\/p>\n Immediate change isn\u2019t necessarily needed either. Conway was arguably under pressure to keep his spot in the test side over the last summer, and responded with a career-best 227<\/a> against the West Indies. <\/p>\n However, Black Caps selection manager Gavin Larsen outlines that these matters are on his agenda, as the new contracting window approaches.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of succession planning that takes place,\u201d he told the Herald. \u201cThis is the period of the year where we give a lot of due attention to that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going through our central contract ranking process at the moment. I\u2019ll be up-front and honest, it\u2019s been a difficult process.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it comes to ranking players across tests, ODIs and T20s, it can be a difficult process \u2013 but that\u2019s healthy. It\u2019s a real signal that our system is working nicely. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a number of younger, and not so young, players that are pushing through and pressing hard towards the incumbent players.\u201d <\/p>\n Where, then, do the Black Caps go next? At lower levels, there are plenty of players already putting their hands up.<\/p>\n At the top of the order, Canterbury\u2019s Rhys Mariu<\/a>, 24, and Central Districts\u2019 Curtis Heaphy, 22, have dominated at domestic level, and both impressed for New Zealand A \u2013 even if they\u2019re yet to play a test match.<\/p>\n Wellington\u2019s Tim Robinson, 24, has already shown he can thrive at international level<\/a>, courtesy of an unbeaten 106 in a T20 International against Australia last year. While his first-class batting record is modest, averaging just under 33 from 27 matches, a career-best 130 against Sri Lanka A in spinning conditions last month shows a player worth investing in.<\/p>\n Canterbury\u2019s Matt Boyle, 23, also made a century in Sri Lanka, and has the potential to become a batting allrounder when taking his more than handy leg-spin into account. Muhammad Abbas starred with the fastest half-century by a Kiwi on his ODI debut<\/a> last year, even if his progress has been halted by injury. <\/p>\nTim Robinson has already proven capable in the shorter formats for the Black Caps. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n