Ponting decodes New Zealand’s mantra ahead of T20WC semis
The ICC Hall of Famer pinpoints to the dressing room camaraderie and how it uplifts the Black Caps at marquee tournaments.
As New Zealand prepare for their fourth ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final semi-final outing, Ricky Ponting has hailed their close-knit cricketing culture as an essential ingredient to their consistency on the big stage.
The fixture will mark New Zealand’s seventh ICC knockout appearance since 2021, which includes the Men’s T20 World Cup Final in Dubai from four years ago.
Speaking to Sanjana Ganesan in the latest edition of The ICC Review, Ponting noted, “One thing I've sort of noticed with the Kiwi boys is this year at MLC, I had four or five of them together and because they're from such a small cricketing nation, they end up playing a lot of cricket together in the same teams.
“Their junior cricket, they play together against each other and when you see them together, they know each other inside and out.
“They know each other really well and I think that helps a lot around a team. The dynamic around a team where these guys, they can actually coach themselves because they've spent so much time together.”
Ponting elaborated that the familiarity with each other’s game helps the Black Caps step in and coach each other.
“Quite often, they don't need coaches coming along and telling them what to do. You'll watch them walk away to the side of the nets.
“They'll have little discussions about their own game. And I think that's what they're bringing to their international team now. Like a lot of these, Chapman, Ravindra, Phillips, Daryll Mitchell, they've played a lot of cricket together and know each other inside out.”
Ponting lauded New Zealand’s ability to always impress when it comes to the major tournaments, something that exemplifies their thorough preparation for the big stage.
“We seem to be saying the same thing about New Zealand and every ICC event that ever comes up.
“You read through the side and you look at their side on paper maybe compared to some others and you think they'll be close, but surely they're not going to make it through to the semi-final stage. But they do.
“They're well led, they're well drilled. I think tactically, when you look at the way that they play, they do their homework as well as anyone and very, very often get their matchups right.”
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri also echoed the sentiment, scoping in on his coaching instincts to analyse New Zealand’s strengths.
“I think their preparation is incredibly detailed. Where they study each player, which bowlers should bowl, when to a particular batsman,” he said.
“Their matchups are fantastic. And you see on the field, they don't give an inch. They're hanging in there.
“You can never drop your guard against New Zealand, thinking you've got your nose in front and tend to relax. Because then suddenly there'll be a period where two or three wickets go and they'll be back in the thick of things.”
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Shastri was part of the Indian dressing room when India came out second best against New Zealand in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-final as well as the ICC World Test Championship Final two years later.
He added, “Similarly with their batting, you know, they might lose two or three wickets early, but there's someone or the other who'll come, they'll stitch a partnership together, they'll run hard between the wickets and then be explosive towards the end.
“It's a side that comes extremely well prepared, you know, for the conditions and they adapt very well. And off late, I think they've started touring very well too, especially in the subcontinent.”
New Zealand will square off against South Africa in the first semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday, March 4 at the Eden Gardens.
