Sydney, Nov 8: Ahead of their crucial semifinal of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against Pakistan, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Tuesday lavished praise on his bowling attack, saying that they’ve been outstanding throughout this tournament.
The Kiwis delivered an outstanding performance in the Super 12s and finished at the top of Group 1. While there were some breathtaking batting performances, the BlackCaps skipper thinks the consistency of his bowlers also played a pivotal role in their journey to the semifinals.
“I mean, they’re experienced players for us. They’ve played for us a long time, whether that’s taking wickets or, in particular, adjusting to conditions which certainly we need them to come to tournaments, world events, that’s a big part of playing,” Williamson said in the pre-match press conference.
“So they’ve been outstanding throughout this tournament. And tomorrow we’re at another venue against another opposition, and we’ll have to make those adjustments again,” he added.
Three of the five bowlers New Zealand has used in this tournament have maintained an economy rate of under seven. Tim Southee (6.35), Mitchell Santner (6.43) and Ish Sodhi (6.78) have been outstanding. Only Lockie Ferguson (8.13) and Trent Boult (7.18) have been a little expensive.
New Zealand and Pakistan engaged in a tri-series, which also involved Bangladesh, ahead of this World Cup.
The Kiwis lost to Pakistan in the final and when Williamson was asked to reflect on the relevance of that series to this match, he said, “I mean, we have a strong team. We know it’s going to be a tough match. Both teams are going to play in the semi, playing some good cricket throughout. The past is the past, and I think both teams are looking forward to tomorrow.” (IANS)
