The New Zealand men’s cricket team a.k.a., the Blackcaps, reached the final of the previous edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
The Blackcaps have reached the World Cup semi-finals on a record six occasions, yet, they have never won the World Cup.
New Zealand have had the highest run scorers in three World Cups with Glenn Turner in 1975, Martin Crowe in 1992 and Martin Guptill in 2015, all being the leading run scorers for the respective tournaments.
The only major ICC event the Blackcaps have won is the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000, which was held in Kenya. NZ, largely in part to a magnificent ton from Chris Cairns, won the event, defeating India by four wickets with two balls to spare.
New Zealand’s overall World Cup record includes 48 wins, 30 losses from a total of 79 World Cup games with one game having No Result. The Blackcaps have been knocked out of the World Cup a record six times at the semi-final stages (1975, 1979, 1992, 1999, 2007 and 2011), two times at the group stage (1983 and 1987) and one apiece at the quarter-final (1996) and the Super Six stage (2003).
Under the captaincy of star batsman Kane Williamson, New Zealand will be one of the main competitors at the event. Currently, the Blackcaps are ranked third in current the ICC ODI rankings, behind World Cup favourites, hosts, England and cricketing powerhouse, India.
For the current World Cup, they have a new coach, with former Canterbury coach, Gary Stead, who took over from Mike Hesson last year. The Blackcaps campaign begins on the third of June, 2019, when they take on Sri Lanka at the Sophia Gardens.
Since the last World Cup, New Zealand has played 82 ODIs, winning 48, losing 31 and three No Results. Out of the matches played since the 2015 World Cup, New Zealand has won 36 matches at home and only ten away with two being at neutral venues.
The away record of the Blackcaps has been a bit suspect with the Blackcaps only winning ten games and losing 16 games away from home. Also, the Blackcaps have only won two ODI series away from home since the last World Cup, which is a bit of a concern, considering this year’s World Cup will be held in England and Wales.
New Zealand’s Corey Anderson bats against India. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)
The 15-man squad for the World Cup campaign will be announced right after the current ODI series vs Bangladesh. Certain players are lock-ins, barring injuries for the major showpiece, including, Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, and Trent Boult.
The two positions that may be a bit of a concern for the Blackcaps heading into the World Cup are the wicket-keeping position and who will open the batting with Martin Guptill.
The other opening slot is not 100 per cent certain with the flamboyant, Colin Munro, failing to rack up consistent scores. Young Canterbury Wizards batsman and rising star, Henry Nicholls is one option for the opening slot, along with Tim Seifert or even Tom Latham.
There are discussions surrounding a selection of a possible young ‘bolter’ for the World Cup, in the form of Central Districts right-hand batsman, Will Young, being selected for the major showpiece.
Will Young has been touted by many former Blackcaps as a future Blackcap. The wicket-keeping position is also a major concern for the Blackcaps with Tom Latham, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips and possibly, though highly unlikely, Henry Nicholls the possible options for the Blackcaps.
Here is look at who the key batsman and bowlers will be for the Blackcaps at the World Cup this year and also, who are the two players to keep an eye on.
Key batsmen
Ross Taylor: One of New Zealand’s greatest batsman, Ross Taylor has been one of the major performers in the ODI format for the Blackcaps since the last World Cup.
He is currently ranked third in the ICC ODI batting rankings, Taylor is only behind Indian superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in terms of batting averages since the 2015 World Cup.
He has the most 100s for New Zealand in the country’s ODI history with 20 tons and has 46 half centuries. New Zealand has won 13 of the 20 matches where Ross Taylor has scored an ODI ton. Taylor also has scored the most runs for a batsman batting at no.4 in ODI history.
He has played at three previous World Cups and starred in NZ’s 2011 World Cup campaign, with 324 runs to his name. He will look to improve on his previous World Cup performance, where Taylor struggled to get past 50.
Taylor, who is 34 years of age, could potentially be playing his last World Cup. He would want to go out a winner. As of this moment, Taylor is just 51 runs behind Stephen Fleming on NZ’s all-time highest ODI run-scorers list.
Ross Taylor and New Zealand. (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)
Kane Williamson
One of the top batsmen in the world in all formats, and considered by many to be the nation’s greatest in the near future, Williamson has evolved immensely since debuting against India in 2010.
In recent times, his form has been a bit shaky, but the star batsman from Tauranga averages 45.36 with 11 tons and 37 half centuries. Williamson will play a big role in the team’s performance, with the tactics and the batting.
He is also a useful part-time off-spinner with of 4/22. From the 11 tons that he has scored until date, Williamson has scored seven of them away from home. Also, New Zealand has won seven times when Williamson has scored a ton and lost His current ranking is 11.
Martin Guptill
Statistically speaking, Martin Guptill has one of the best ODI records as an opener in recent times. until date, Guptill has scored 16 ODI centuries and New Zealand has won 81 per cent of the matches where Guptill has scored a ton. They have lost only once when Guptill has scored a ton. He averages 43.10 in ODIs and has 35 half centuries. His current ODI ranking is 19 with 683 points (as of 16th February 2019).
New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (Ross Setford/SNPA via AP)
Key bowlers
Trent Boult
Equal leading wicket-taker in the last World Cup with, the man of the tournament, Mitchell Starc, Trent Boult is the main weapon for the Blackcaps bowling department heading into the World Cup. He is currently ranked third in the ICC ODI bowling rankings with 732 points.
He has 144 wickets from 77 matches at an average of 24.64 with five wicket-hauls to his name. Boult will be looking to replicate similar form to what he displayed in the 2015 World Cup.
Tim Southee
Southee, despite being out of form since the last World Cup, would be a key figure for the Blackcaps World Cup aspirations. In English conditions, where conditions and pitches do traditionally suit swing bowlers like Tim Southee.
He has the second best bowling figures in World Cup history with an amazing 7/33 against England at Wellington in the 2015 World Cup. His World Cup record is impressive. In the 2011 World Cup, Southee picked up 18 wickets at an impressive average of 17.33.
Matt Henry
The Canterburian paceman has a good ODI record. His stats read, 42 matches, 77 wickets at an average of 26.16. Henry has experience in English conditions playing for Kent in the County season.
He will be vying for a starting place in the ODI team with Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Lockie Ferguson.
Players to watch out for
Jimmy Neesham
Jimmy Neesham is a player with serious potential. Over the years, he has dealt with numerous injuries as well as form issues. Neesham has been in and out of the Blackcaps squad since making his debut back in 2013 against South Africa.
The 28-year-old has found some form in the domestic circuit, which has ultimately helped him in getting back in the New Zealand ODI squad. The move to the Wellington Firebirds from the Otago Volts has done wonders for Neesham.
He recently hit 34 runs off a Thisara Perera over in an ODI. Ever since his return early this year, Neesham has played seven games, scoring 167 runs, with an average of 83.50 and a high score of 64 at a strike rate well over 100. Neesham’s bowling stats are equally as impressive, with Neesham picking up ten wickets in seven games at a bowling average of 20.50.
Lockie Ferguson
The express pace bowler from Auckland is one bowler to look out for. He can bowl at 150 km/h when he is in full flow. With express pace comes an ever-improving record. So far, Ferguson has played 26 ODIs, picking up 46 wickets at an average of 27.39.
According to Stats Guru, Ferguson picked up 25 wickets at an average of 20.48 in ten ODIs with a strike rate of 22.80 for the 2018/2019 season. With stats like that, the Auckland speedster is one player to keep an eye on.
New Zealand seems to have most departments covered and are capable of winning the coveted trophy. The question for every Blackcap supporter is, can they win the World Cup this time around? Only time will tell.
Neel
Roar Guru
Ahahaha. Thank you so much for your kind words bhanji.
Chaand
Guest
Feeling overwhelmed by seeing nanu's first article...... I just mesmerised by every bit of depiction.... You nailed it Neel...
Neel
Roar Guru
True, sometimes with Williamson, I feel he does get a bit too laid back, expecting things to happen. One fine example of that is the 1st Test against Sri Lanka. There were arguments going around, stating that he could have been more proactive with his field placings. Sri Lanka did do really well that day, but then again, it did seem Williamson is a bit too conservative at times with his captaincy. It is worth noting that Williamson, did show a bit more aggression in the 2nd Test at Christchurch against the Sri Lankan’s. His record though as captain in ODIs stands at 50 games, 26 wins, 22 losses and 2 N/R.
Neel
Roar Guru
Yeah, true. Even thought the formats are different, Seifert looked really good in the T20 series against India. There are arguments going around that he could be used as a bit of a dasher at the World Cup. Him and Guppy opening, and Seifert would try and go bonkers in the first 10 overs when the power play is on. It could be a thing worth trying during the World Cup.
Sylvester
Guest
The elephant in the room is Williamson's conservative captaincy style. He reminds me a lot of Vettori, who I felt was too formulaic and gun shy about risking a loss in pursuit of a win. Fleming was an innovative captain with limited resources at disposal, and as we know McCullum was super aggressive with a fairly good lineup to execute his plans. Williamson is leading a talented team - possibly NZ's best ever - so can afford to push it a bit.
bobbo7
Guest
Agree they missed a trick not giving Seifert a crack at opening. He looks much better than Munro - what gets me about Munro is he looks streaky even when he makes runs - he should have been out 4 or so times in the T20 when he made 67 - I though the Seifert shots were far better and low risk. Really they needed to try him in the Bangladesh series.
Neel
Roar Guru
Yes, after today’s game, Latham seems to be the lock-in for the starting 11 World Cup squad. However, he is a part-time Keeper and there have been doubts raised about his keeping. Batsman-wise he is talented and is a handful when he gets going, just like what he showed today against Bangladesh. Former Blackcaps players have raised doubts about the keeping ability of Tim Seifert and some of them claim that his keeping is something he needs to work on, if he wants to be an international level keeper. Seifert is an explosive batsman who could be used in a similar role like that of Brendon McCullum in the last World Cup. You are right about the spinners. Doubly mentioned that we don’t have a lot of depth in the spin departments in the domestic circuit on commentary today. Santner is a handy cricketer, but as a spin bowling option, he is more of a container than a wicket-taker. Sodhi can definitely get whacked around a bit. Also, I agree with you about NZs death bowling options. Today, even though they won comfortably in the end, they had Bangladesh at 70-odd for 5. I thought they would have finished them off but Bangladesh eventually scored 242. Southee hasn’t had a great run in recent times, bowling at the death. The Sri Lanka series showed that our death bowling is something that needs work on. Sri Lanka nearly snatched victory of the Blackcaps due to the Blackcaps death bowling. Hopefully, for the Blackcaps fans sake they can rectify these areas and their chances of winning the World Cup would increase immensely.
Neel
Roar Guru
51 ODIs, 1146 runs at an average of 24.49 with 7 half-centuries and no centuries to his name. It would be hard to argue against Munro not being included in the World Cup squad. He just hasn’t taken the opportunities that have been given to him by the selectors. The three key batsman that I mentioned in my article are definitely the ones that need to have a big WC for NZ to have a chance. Also, the All Rounders are going to play a big part in the Blackcaps fortunes at the Cup. I reckon the selectors missed a trick by not trying Seifert or Will Young as an opener in either of the Sri Lanka or Bangladesh ODI series. Smithy talked about it on commentary today. Colin de Grandhomme hasn’t done well in ODIs outside of NZ, and I’m not too sure about selecting him in the 15-man squad for the World Cup. I would go for Ferguson as 1st change over Matt Henry as he can bowl express pace which can come in handy in England. Plus, Ferguson has improved immensely from the 1st time I saw him and he could be that X-Factor that the bowling line-up needs.
Neel
Roar Guru
My bad. You are right about the ‘bound to be’ part. Williamson is, in my opinion the most technically correct batsman out of those four batsman you mentioned. He will overtake Stephen Fleming’s NZ record for most runs by a Kiwi at the rate he is going. I don’t think there’s any other NZ batsman that has averaged over 50 in Tests for the same amount of time Williamson has. He is a gun fielder and a handy bowler as well which does validate your point of him being a complete package. Oh yeah, and seriously, I hope the Cup stays in the Southern Hemisphere as well. Here’s hoping either NZ or the Aussies win it.
Sylvester
Guest
I don't think the wicketkeeping is a grey area really. Latham is locked in. They might add Seifert to the squad in place of Munro to keep that pinch hitting option at the top (but I don't think they will), but Latham would take a gloves regardless. The top 6 is sorted. The only debate is over the mix of all rounders. I think the key area of concern is spin. Santner is not the wicket taker they need, Sodhi can take wickets but is often expensive, and Astle is still unproven. Death bowling is another problem. NZ can often take 3-5 wickets fairly early on, but struggle to contain and finish off when the charge is on.
Bobbo7
Guest
After today, Munro to can't make the squad. A good T20 blaster but no record in ODIs and he puts pressure on Guptill and KW by going out early. Nicholls is ok as as n opener though i wonder if Seifet should have been given a shot. He looks more correct like than Munro and can get a quick start. That said if you don't have a McCullum, go for a different plan. McCullum had a unique ability to go from ball one and even if he only lasted 3 overs, no.3 had time to get in with some runs on the board. If two of Guptill, KW or Taylo go well, NZ has a good shot at the WC. They have the tonkers down the order but they need the top 5 to get to the 35th over. My side is Guptill Nicholas Williamson Taylor Latham Neesham De Grande homme Santner Southee Henry Boult Gives you 70 potential overs with Williamson bowling. Bats properly to 5 with three world class players and aggressive players at 6,7,8 and 9, 10, 11 have decent eyes too. This side will go well if 2 of the top 4 have good World Cups. Astle, Seifet, Bracewell and Ferguson should also go in the squad.
Paul
Roar Guru
He's not "bound to be" Neel. When Williamson's mentioned in the same breath as Kohli, Smith & Root as one of the top 4 batsmen in the world, you know this guy is already great. Whether he can take top billing from Martin Crowe, one of the best I've ever seen, is the only story he needs to write. Throw in his excellent captaincy and he's a pretty complete package. I certainly hope if the Aussies don't win the WC, The Blackcaps do. It needs to remain in the southern hemisphere for another 4 years!
Neel
Roar Guru
Thanks for your feedback Lara. Yeah, hopefully they can pull it off this time around. Williamson is a gun and is bound to be aN all time great for the Blackcaps.
Neel
Roar Guru
Thank you Carlin for your feedback. Yeah, the Blackcaps have a good record, the only problem is they just haven’t gone that one step further and won the tournament. Southee, despite terrible form with the ball in the last 2 years, is an experienced campaigner. He can add a few handy runs down the order and he is one brilliant fielder who pulls off stunners and saves plenty of runs in the field. I hope they don’t go with Munro, because he hasn’t done much to justify his place in the team. Hopefully the other bowlers can back Boult up. Yeah and fingers crossed, as a Blackcaps supporter, I hope they can win the Cup this time around.
Neel
Roar Guru
Thank you for your feedback. Yeah, that’s a fair assessment. England and India are definitely favourites to lift the Cup. The Blackcaps have to work on a lot of aspects in order to win the Cup.
Neel
Roar Guru
Hey mate. Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, there are a few doubts about the team. The one main reason is the recent series against India. India exposed a lot of chinks in the NZ team. This maybe a blessing in disguise just before the World Cup, as it may just give the Blackcaps enough time to rectify the problematic areas. The bowlers, well, Boult is the leader of the pack. Ferguson is one bowler that seems to be getting better with time & come the World Cup, he could be a weapon. I do reckon Jimmy Neesham will be in the starting 11 for most games at the World Cup this year. You are right though, they need to be at their absolute best in order to win the World Cup. It will be interesting to see how they go & being a Blackcaps fan, I hope they can go one step further this time around and win the Cup.
Lara
Guest
Solid team, led by a gun batsman. If the Black Caps win, it would be Boult who will hold the key. All the best.
Carlin
Roar Rookie
Thanks for this great and accurate summary on the Black Caps. Historically their World Cup performances have very good without going the whole way to win the competition. Being in the UK does suit the team with a very good seam bowling line up. It will be a hot topic on how Tim Southee is used. He’s struggled in limited overs over the last 2 years but his experience could be a big asset at the tournament. I have a couple of concerns. One is a number of fringe players have been juggled with throughout the season and haven’t played a string of games. That includes Matt Henry and Ish Sodhi. There still seems to be some indecision on who will be the 2nd spinner that goes. If Munro is going to play they will need more reliability from him at the top of the order. Also the death bowling hasn’t been that flash which could be an issue especially on some of the smaller grounds. Fingers crossed we see another quality tournament from the lads and who knows that they can go one step further than they did in 2015.
Cantab
Guest
Nice summary. Being in England they have a real chance. Not favourites but can definitely win it.
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Neel, thanks for putting together an interesting and well written first piece for Roar. As an outsider looking in, I got the impression New Zealand was basically a settled team, with the odd player coming in or out, depending on match conditions, but your piece suggests otherwise? I'm also wondering how you explain the recent series defeat to India at home? That surely must be a concern, given the WC is only a few months away. I wonder about two things; how much your really getting from your batting order and how much you're getting from your complete bowling attack? You've rightly pointed out guys like Guptill, Taylor & Williamson being world class ODI players, but if they have a quiet series as they appeared to against India, the other 8 guys in the side don't seem to be stepping up. Ditto with the bowlers. Boult is an outstanding ODI bowler (I wish we had him in the Aussie) side but the rest of the attack seems a tad hit & miss. When they're on, they'll destroy any team, but otherwise, don't seem to be able to knock over the top sides regularly. I still have great hope for the Blackcaps, based purely on the attacking cricket they play. Again, when they're "on", there's not a better ODI team in world cricket to watch. I think though, they'll need to be at their very best and have a lot of luck go their way to be a chance in this year's WC.