World Cup 2023: New Zealand team preview, squad, key players, form and prediction

New Zealand, ICC World Cup 2023 Preview: 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.

In captain Williamson, New Zealand possesses a world-class batter who can rebuild or accelerate the innings as needed. | Photo Credit: AP

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 and Latham will form a solid opening pair for the Kiwis. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

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 and Santner are the frontline spinners for the Black Caps. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES

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

NEW ZEALAND SQUAD

Kane Williamson (c),  Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young.