New Zealand could be the dark horse of the ongoing ICC World Cup cricket tournament. Surprisingly not many of the former players and experts have mentioned the Kiwis in their list of favourites but it is well known that this is a team which is quite capable of upsetting the more favoured teams. The victory in the practice match against Pakistan in Hyderabad must have given the team a big boost to their confidence.
It must be remembered by all opponents how New Zealand performed in 2019. In the final England defeated New Zealand by the skin of its teeth as the saying goes. The scores were tied at 241 after 50 overs. New Zealand scored 241 for eight and England was all out for 241. The match went into the super over but there too, the teams were tied. England 15 for no loss and New Zealand 15 for one. Eventually, the trophy was won by England, whose boundary count was higher than New Zealand’s.
That was a rather unsatisfactory way of breaking the deadlock and many cricket fans across the world expressed their disappointment. After such a well-contested match neither team deserved to lose. However, the rules were drawn up long before the event began and there was no way to reverse the decision.
This year the NZ team is led by the reliable Kane Williamson. Other experienced players are Trent Boult, Tom Latham, Tim Southee, Jimmy Neesham and others. The skipper Williamson has a reputation for being one of the best in the business.
Now 33 years old, Williamson is at the peak of his career. He has the right combination of experience and fitness to lead the side with his personal example. In the previous World Cup Williamson was adjudged the Player of the Series. He was also nominated for the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade, and the award for Test cricketer of the decade. Experts such as former Australia captain Ian Chappell and star NZ batsman Martin Crowe have rated Williamson among the top batsmen in the world. Clearly he is a player and a leader who cannot be taken lightly.
In the bowling line up there is Trent Boult the widely respected seam bowler. He may not be another Richard Hadlee but he has the weaponry to trouble the best of batsmen. He has played more than one hundred ODI matches and is well aware of Indian pitches and weather conditions since he has played in the IPL.
In 2018-19, in the fourth ODI against India, Boult claimed his fifth five-wicket haul. Thereby he equalled the record set by Richard Hadlee. He ended up with five wickets for 21 runs and helped NZ to record one of their biggest wins. Boult was named man of the match. If he strikes form, Boult can demolish any batting line up.
The 31 year old Tom Latham has played 134 ODI matches and has a wealth of experience under his belt. Last year, playing against Pakistan, he scored his 13th Test century which is the maximum by any New Zealand opener in Test cricket. His highest Test score is 264 not out against Sri Lanka. In ODI cricket he has seven centuries to his name, the highest being 145 against India last year.
Jimmy Neesham, Tim Southee, Rachin Ravindra and others have the skills and aptitude to tackle the odds that they are bound to encounter in the course of the ICC World Cup. Several of them have the added advantage of having played in the IPL matches and know what to expect on Indian soil. If given the slightest opening, they can gatecrash into the party and spoil the show for their more favoured opponents. It would be highly unwise to approach the deadly Black Caps in a casual manner in this edition of the ICC World Cup.
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