OPINION: We need to talk about Tim Southee's place in the Black Caps' one-day side.

Since the 2015 Cricket World Cup, he has been the weakest link in the team's pace-bowling attack, and with the 2019 World Cup less than six months away, the time to act is now.

Injuries and enforced rest limited Southee's participation in the first year of the current World Cup cycle, but since October 2016, when the Black Caps played India away, he has been a fixture in the pace bowling trio, playing 36 of the team's past 44 matches.

Trent Boult has been a mainstay too, playing 37 matches in that time, and since the start of last summer, Lockie Ferguson has joined them, playing 12 of the past 16 matches, missing out only when a second spinner was used instead.

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But where Boult (86 wickets at an average of 26 and strike rate of 28) and Ferguson (32 wickets at an average of 28 and strike rate of 30) have been two of the country's best performers since the last World Cup, Southee quite simply hasn't.

He has taken 46 wickets at an average (runs per wicket) of 44 and a strike rate (balls per wicket) of 47. Those are the worst marks of the eight New Zealand quicks who have bowled at least 50 overs in that time.

Of the 100 pace bowlers worldwide who have bowled the most in ODIs since the last World Cup. Southee has the 86th-best average and the 89th-best strike rate. Many of those who trail him on those lists are all-rounders, not out-and-out quicks.

Southee has been playing ODI cricket for 11 years now.

His efforts in 2009 (where he took 10 wickets at an average of 63 and a strike rate of 66) remain his worst, but they are followed by those in 2018 (11 wickets at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 55) and 2017 (17 wickets at an average of 43 and a strike rate of 44).

It is clear his best days in ODI cricket are long behind him.

If Southee was struggling and no-one was banging down the door to replace him, it would be one thing, but there are several alternatives.

Doug Bracewell, Adam Milne (currently injured), and Hamish Bennett would all relish the opportunity, but there is a clear frontrunner who deserves the nod first - regular 12th man Matt Henry.

Since the 2015 World Cup, Henry has taken 45 wickets at an average of 29 and a strike rate of 30, figures similar to those of Boult and Ferguson and well ahead of Southee's in the same period.

In 2016, Henry had a better average and strike rate than Southee has had in nine of the 11 years of his career.

In 2015 (including matches before and during the World Cup) Henry had a better average and strike rate than Southee has had in eight of the 11 years of his career.

In 2014 (which is going back a bit), Henry had a better average and strike rate than Southee (and Boult for that matter) has ever had.

Over the past two years, however, Henry has barely played, featuring in just six matches, four in 2017 and two in 2018, but when he has bowled, he has looked his usual self.

If you consider all the New Zealand pace bowlers who have bowled as many overs as Henry has in his career - a group of 25, including several all-rounders - he has the third-best average (behind Chris Pringle, Sir Richard Hadlee, and Shane Bond) and the best strike rate.

He has been too good to remain the backup as 2019 begins, especially with Southee as out of sorts as he is. There are just 11 ODIs before the World Cup begins, and no time to waste.