New Zealand name Cricket World Cup squad early
The Black Caps will open their ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 England and Wales campaign against Sri Lanka in the Welsh city of Cardiff on June the 1st. Expat Sport takes the opportunity to assess the selection of what was pretty much a cut and dried team.
New Zealand named their 15-man World Cup squad early; all became clear at the start of April as they opted for a spread of experienced players. While this was a predictable lineup given the seasoned talent they have at their disposal, the surprise inclusion of the relatively green Tom Blundell as back-up wicketkeeper gave it a fresh twist.
Desperate to shake off the tag of a side which regularly produces stunning ODI cricket at the highest level but is seemingly destined to remain runners up on the one-day game’s most prestigious stage, the Black Caps are undoubtedly keen to claim the title. Not least because they have exited the tournament six times at the semi-final stage, and went down to a heavy defeat against Australia in their only appearance in the final four years ago. New Zealand are currently sitting third in the ICC ODI rankings on the same points as, but adjudged marginally ahead of South Africa, behind England and India.
Coach Gary Stead’s confidence stems from the fact that as his captain Kane Williamson leads a New Zealand side which has consistently excelled at the top level. From Stead’s perspective, therein lies the wave of performance momentum that could carry his squad through this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales on fairly familiar wickets.
“We’ve got a squad here of 15 players that we think can give us a really, really good chance of going far into the tournament,” he commented to media.
“If we play close to our potential, then hopefully we can do New Zealand proud,” Stead added.
The story behind Wellington keeper Blundell’s selection, was that regular back-up to Tom Latham the Black Cats first choice with the gloves, Tim Siefert, unfortunately suffered a broken finger behind the stumps in a domestic match for Northern Districts on 20th of March, the final day of the Plunket Shield back in New Zealand.
Thomas Ackland Blundell, actually has two Test caps, and will more than likely make his one-day international debut during the tournament, however his role is likely to be limited if Latham stays fit. All the same, at 28 going on 29years old he will undoubtedly thrive on the chance to play for his country, he is also useful with the bat, averaging 68 in the two Tests.
And so to the selectors’ overall choice:
Henry Nicholls (39 ODI innings and 1029 runs) will open the batting alongside veteran Martin Guptill (6,440 runs in 166 ODI innings, highest score 237), replacing Colin Munro (47 ODI innings with a batting average of 24.9 compared with Nicholls’ 35.48) at the top of the order, nevertheless Munro will still be on the aeroplane as batting cover.
Kane Williamson (5554 runs in 133 ODI innings, highest score 145) together with Ross Taylor, who is on his fourth World Cup campaign (Average 48.34 over 203 ODI innings, highest score 181), will complete an aggressive, battle-hardened batting core.
In terms of collective experience, Williamson, Taylor and Guptill have between them played in a total of 526 ODI matches.
Guptill and Taylor have yet to confirm their post-World Cup plans, but both are likely to be contemplating retirement, at 32 and 35 respectively, there is little doubt they would jointly love to say farewell to cricket’s most exalted platform on the perfect high.
From a bowling perspective, Mitchell Santner (63 ODI wickets along with an extraordinary batting average of 27.53) will take the New Zealanders’ primary spinner’s berth, while right-arm leg break specialist Ish Sodhi (39 ODI wickets), currently with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, edges Todd Astle to snap up the second slow bowling position. Santner made his debut in this edition of the IPL for Chennai Super Kings.
“[Deciding on] the spinners was very tough, and both had signs at times that they should’ve been the one that was selected… but at the end of the day that’s my call to make,” Stead went on to say.
Meanwhile, the pace attack has a fiery look about it, made up of: Tim Southee (right-arm fast-medium bowler and hard-hitting lower order batsman), Trent Boult (left-arm fast-medium and in outstanding form for Delhi Capitals in VIVO IPL 2019), Lockie Ferguson (A genuinely fast right-arm bowler who can produce exceptionally high speed deliveries launched from a tall frame) and Matt Henry (right-arm fast-medium a consistent ODI wicket taker, 78 in 43 tests), while Jimmy Neesham (49 ODI caps, batting average 30.76, wickets taken 44) and Zimbabwe born, Colin de Grandhomme (Right-hand bat and right-arm fast-medium batting average 29.53 and 18 wickets in 28 ODIs), provide well integrated allrounder options.
New Zealand ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Full Squad:
Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor
Expat Sport’s Mac McTiernan takes a detailed look at New Zealand’s published squad of Kiwi ‘immortals’ fairly champing at the bit to contest the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales.
