Kane Williamson, the captain of New Zealand, thought back on a T20 World Cup campaign that stopped before it was set to take off after the team’s easy victory against PNG. Having not played much cricket in the run-up to the competition, two losses in their opening two games had all but eliminated the team when Afghanistan defeated PNG, sealing the Kiwis’ fate. New Zealand was the team that started their World Cup campaign last, having played their first match after a few other teams had.
“It was disheartening because after a protracted beginning, we were essentially out of the running in a couple of days. We failed to achieve our goal of launching the campaign strongly. We faced a few formidable teams who were well-prepared on these kinds of pitches, and regrettably, it made the difference in our opening two matches. The latter two games featured some respectable cricket, so it was all very disheartening.
“The truth is that on these wickets, scores of 90 or even 100 may be winning totals. As a result, T20 batting needs to look a specific way, and if a matchup occurs, you could be able to score above par. But for all the boys, it’s been a very unique experience. We always look forward to visiting the Caribbean; it’s a great destination. I believe that the circumstances have been difficult for batters everywhere, but the key is to keep trying.”
Although T20 is known as a batter’s game, just three 200-plus scores have been recorded in this competition, underscoring the difficulties the hitters have had, particularly since the majority of them had played on excellent hitting surfaces in the IPL.
Williamson talked on how the West Indies had different conditions from their prior trips, and that the pitches there were difficult.
“The scores are obviously quite poor. There’s not much of a rhythm to batting on these wickets. The problem that both sides confront is figuring out a way to potentially achieve competitive totals; this is significantly different, in my opinion, from other surfaces that are marginally more even. It’s a totally different type of cricket, but the challenge is to pick it up as fast as possible in a short competition.”
“I mean, we were aware that we would be working under difficult conditions. The ups and downs are, in my opinion, rather hard to anticipate. However, as I mentioned before, the important thing is to develop a technique rather than perfect the task, and in the first few games, we weren’t able to achieve that as effectively as we would have wanted.”
Trent Boult, the star fast bowler for New Zealand, played his final match for the Kiwis in the format against PNG. Having participated in youth play with Boult from the ages of ten to eleven, the captain understood the value of his long-term contributions to the squad and how he would serve as an inspiration to the younger players.
“What he’s accomplished in the game—not just for New Zealand, but also receiving respect from all over the world—has a skill set, and at this point in his career, a strong drive to keep improving. He has consistently been a huge component for us that is hard to replace, bringing with him a tremendous deal of enthusiasm and a genuine desire to compete.
“I think when somebody puts the time that he has and the effort he’s put into his country, it paves the way for new players to come through and see a standard that’s been set and I think he can be really proud of that.”
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