Williamson excited by 'balanced' New Zealand's T20WC prospects

Falling at the semi-final stage at both the 2007 and 2016 tournaments, Kane Williamson’s men are one of 2021's strongest teams on paper, and a spot in the final four will be the minimum goal.

The Black Caps took out the inaugural ICC World Test Championship by beating India in the Final earlier this year but are yet to taste the same success in either white ball World Cup. Having come close to limited overs glory at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019, there is sure to be a motivation burning inside every member of the Black Caps squad.

Two years on from their heart-breaking defeat in the Cricket World Cup Final, Williamson is buoyed by his team’s prospects. On top of the addition of Devon Conway, both Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips have emerged as batters ready for the world stage, while a number of young quicks have put forward strong cases for their selection on the bowling side.

Alongside a strong batting order, they are well stocked in both the pace and spin bowling departments, with seamers Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Kyle Jamieson joined by spinners Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner.

“I think we’ve got a pretty well balanced side with a good mix of exciting new talent and some experience," Williamson said.

“I know our guys are really looking forward to another world event and being able to represent New Zealand on the global stage in these challenging times.”

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New Zealand first need to negotiate the Super 12 phase, already made tricky by Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. To add to the drama, the top seed from Group B and second seed from Group A of the First Round will join them, and Williamson is wary of the collective quality across the field.

“It’s always a highly competitive event with every team possessing match-winners who can turn games quickly.

“We’ve got a strong pool with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan so far. All teams are strong which make way for an exciting competition."

New Zealand will play Bangladesh and Pakistan in three T20Is each throughout September in preparation for their campaign, among Cricket World Cup Super League action.

Adapting to the conditions is paramount to tournament success for Williamson, who is well aware of the pressures that global events bring with them.

“We saw in last year’s IPL in the UAE that surfaces can change over the course of a tournament and seam bowling as well as spin can work in the conditions.

“Tournament play is unique and hopefully we can adapt to what’s in front of us and try and gain some momentum.”

For Williamson, there’s much anticipation for the event, beginning a year after its original scheduling.

“After so much disruption to world sport due to the pandemic it feels like there’s a lot of excitement about this T20 World Cup.”

New Zealand begin their campaign on 26 October against Pakistan.