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The Curious Case of Ajaz Patel
Alex Chapman • December 17th, 2025 2:48 pm
Ajaz Patel | Photo: Photosport
This could all end up being superfluous if it gets to the toss in Tauranga, Tom Latham announces his XI, and he decides against playing a spinner.
But given how Ajaz Patel’s career has unraveled, who knows when his next Test will be, so now feels the fitting time to discuss.
If selected for the third Test against the West Indies, it will be Ajaz Patel’s first on home soil since February 2020. That was against India at the Basin Reserve – New Zealand won by 10 wickets, chasing nine for victory. Patel bowled just six overs across the match, as the Blackcaps dismissed the visitors for 165 and 191; Tim Southee was player of the match for his nine for 110.
Since then, New Zealand’s played 42 Tests, and Patel’s featured in 13 of them. His last Test for New Zealand was that wonderful win at the Wankhede, where he was man of the match for his 11 for 160, and the broom was whipped out for a series sweep in India.
Since he joined that exclusive club of three, where the membership fee is 10 wickets in an innings, New Zealand’s had 32 Tests, of which Patel’s name has only been on 10 team sheets.
It’s a long way of saying something that many of us already know; Ajaz Patel barely plays for New Zealand.
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His career has been somewhat of an enigma. Of the spinners to have taken 80 wickets or more for New Zealand, Patel has the best average, and all of John Bracewell, Hedley Howarth and Daniel Vettori are over 30. Yes, he’s the only one under that.
And so, the question is asked, why? Why has that been the case? Why does someone with 29 five-wicket bags and six 10-wicket hauls from 114 first-class matches only have 21 Tests to his name?
There have been others who have been used as the “spin option” since the retirement of Vettori, though they’ve hardly bowled the house down.
Often they’re allrounders, as we saw with Glenn Phillips in Wellington, Michael Bracewell in Christchurch and Mitch Santner in recent times.
Ish Sodhi, Todd Astle and Will Somerville are among genuine spinners who have been used in the last decade. Patel’s taken more five-fers than any of them, and it’s not close.
This isn’t about roaring from the roofs for the case of Ajaz Patel. He’s 37 and as he has shown throughout his career, isn’t afraid to speak his mind or push his own case. Patel has always wanted open and honest communication from coaches – it's something he got from Gary Stead, and it’s something, especially given his prior working relationship with Rob Walter, he continues to receive.
And now he may finally be given another chance.
Or, he may not play in the Bay, and the numbers will extend again and the home drought will extend for another summer.
Tune into The Opening Stand with Alex Chapman - 9am weekdays (10am Sat/Sun) on Sport Nation ahead of each day's play during the Blackcaps vs West Indies Test series.
