The Kiwis are undoubtedly the dark horses or the underdogs of the upcoming World Cup. When a Rahul Dravid is quoted saying that New Zealand might just walk away with the World Cup, it means serious contention. For one, the Kiwis are under no pressure to lift the Cup. The expectations from them aren’t too sky high. Therefore, they can play with a much relaxed mindset.
Just like former South African skipper Graeme Smith has correctly observed, this New Zealand squad is potentially stronger compared to any of the previous teams the country has seen, in the sense that it’s stronger both in the batting and bowling departments, which is critical. However, their immense strength lies in their pace attack, which is spearheaded by Tim Southee. In addition to him, there’s several exceptionally talented bowlers like Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan and Kylie Mills charging the pace battery.
Their performance against Sri Lanka have given the other teams a glimpse of how well this team is coming together as a unit. What also helps them is the fact that they have a well-settled captain in Brendon McCullum, who has led front the front. His calm demeanour and never say die attitude has bolstered the team, together with coach Mike Hesson, who has waded through stormy water, retaining his sanity as well being the analytical man that he is known to be. He’s seldom spoken more than necessary and has let his actions scream louder.
The biggest advantage, like the Australians, is the fact that they will be playing part-hosts to this important tourney. It also helps that that New Zealand has made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup 6 times out of the 10 editions that have been battled out so far.
Key Players:
Kane Williamson
He’s one of the most explosive batsmen that New Zealand has produced. His stroke selection is meticulous, based on the merit of the ball. He’s not someone who’ll swing that bat and take a shot at anything that comes his way. He’s a smart cricketer, a smarter batsmen, if I may add. What’s more important is the fact that he’s in roaring form, doing well against the Sri Lankans. His biggest strength is is consistency.
Daniel Vettori
In a team that relies more on its pace, Daniel Vettori is the one player who makes spin do that destruction. The experience this player comes with is immense. His batting prowess will also help the team in a crisis situation. More importantly, he’s one of the most economical spinners the world has seen, his economy rate standing at 3.96.
Dark Horses
The Kiwis have a list of players who can stand up when the situation comes calling. One of the biggest such players is skipper Brendon McCullum. The list of good batsmen that the team has is endless. Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott are all in the running to perform when needed. However, their wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi is the one to watch out for. In the bowling department, it would be unfair to call Tim Southee a dark horse. His immense control over the yorkers could well be the trump card that the Kiwis can play when needed.
Full Squad:Â Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Luke Ronchi (wkt), Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson.