New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum trusts the New Zealand team which he leads into the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka in Christchurch on Saturday is the best prepared New Zealand side he has known.
Brendon McCullum is not ready to select a World Cup winner but he has no second thought New Zealand will be in the mix at the finish despite their 6th world rank.
On Friday, McCullum said as the squad headed out to their final practice at the Hagley Oval before cricket’s 44-day glamour tournament begins, it is the best practiced and ready team, all round team, and they tick most boxes.
He said that overall they have got a nice combination of experience and youth. It is a squad he is really comfortable taking into a World Cup and they contribute themselves a good opportunity.
Heading into the ICC World Cup Black Caps have comfortably clinched the series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the previous six weeks and beaten main contender of the World Cup South Africa in a warm-up match this week.
They have demonstrated they can win both chasing and defending a target, although Brendon, who is heading into his 4th World Cup, admitted they had not faced Sri Lankan ace Lasith Malinga.
He was quoted saying: “He makes a significant difference to their bowling line up, predominantly more at the back end of the game in terms of his death bowling.
He’s a phenomenal death bowler and he’s going to be a factor which we will have to overcome if we’re going to succeed in this game.
But if we can head into those final overs with a nice platform then hopefully we can put him under a bit of pressure. But certainly Sri Lanka is a stronger team for Lasith Malinga’s involvement.”
New Zealand’s batting order seems very hard, especially with the dynamic Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor at 3rd and 4th position if the big-hitting attitude of openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill does not pay off.
The only choosing difficulty is selecting 3 from a pace attack of five talented bowlers including Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan, Trent Boult, Kyle Mills, and Adam Milne.
Brendon McCullum said the stability of the team gave him a confidence he had not experienced at previous World Cups.
But he said he was unwilling to select the eventual winner in a championship that could be decided by one piece of discrete intensity.