Trent Boult and Tim Southee rely on their swing bowling skills, compensating for their lack of express pace, while Lockie Ferguson adds sheer speed to the quartet, complemented by Matt Henry. Yet, there are significant concerns about their effectiveness in restraining aggressive batting during the death overs. New Zealand has struggled, conceding close to eight runs per over in the final 10 overs of all ODIs played this year.
In captain Kane Williamson, New Zealand possesses a world-class batter who can rebuild or accelerate the innings as needed. However, there are reservations about his return from a prolonged injury absence. Although he is named in the World Cup squad, Williamson has yet to make a competitive cricket comeback. Williamson, along with Southee, will be playing in his fourth ODI World Cup, having featured in 2011, 2015, and 2019.
Devon Conway and Tom Latham, both left-handed batters in the top six, can discourage the opposition from using left-arm spin and leg-spin against the top-order.
Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are the frontline spinners. New Zealand will likely play both, and the most effective way to counter this pair is for teams to utilise right-hand and left-hand combinations.
KEY PLAYERS
Devon Conway
Conway in ODIs in 2023
Mat. | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Highest | 100s/50s |
10 | 449 | 49.88 | 96.55 | 138 | 3/1 |
Ish Sodhi
Sodhi in ODIs in 2023
Mat. | Wickets | Econ. | Bowl. Avg. | Best | Bowl. SR |
12 | 13 | 5.50 | 38.92 | 6/39 | 42.4 |
PREDICTION
We will spend the next six weeks talking exhaustively about the inevitability of New Zealand’s bouncebackability during World Cups. There will be a lot of pressure to make it to the finals, but with key players injured and increasingly competitive opponents, this tournament will not be a walk in the park for the Black Caps.
New Zealand in ODIs in 2023
Mat. | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Win% |
20 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 40.00 |
Comments
Follow Us
SHARE