For nearly ten years, New Zealand has had an incredible run in ICC events. The Blackcaps have advanced to the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and 2019, the World Test Championship in 2021 and the T20 World Cup in 2021, the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2016 and 2022, and the ODI World Cup in 2023.
However, it appears that this run may have come to an end in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. After losing to the West Indies and taking a crushing beating from Afghanistan, New Zealand saw their campaign come to an end.
Kiwi captain Kane Williamson disagreed that this T20 World Cup marked the end of an era when asked in the post-match news conference following his team’s 13-run defeat to the West Indies. “No, I think there are still guys that will be here for some time,” Williamson responded. “I believe that, when you consider the first two matches, they have undoubtedly been unsatisfactory for a global event. As you wish to get off to a good start, we really needed to improve under these particular circumstances.”
We are aware that the task at hand will be extremely difficult and demanding. However, if you get a few little victories and your matches go your way, that may make the difference in the entire competition. We’re disappointed that it hasn’t occurred to us, but following competitions like this, you undoubtedly review what you do, how you do it, the circumstances you’ve encountered, and how to improve,” Williamson continued.
For an extended period, the Kiwis have included players such as Captain Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Jimmy Neesham, and Ish Sodhi. Despite the slim chance of qualification, New Zealand still has two games remaining, so the Black Caps would prefer to finish on a good note.
New Zealand going ahead will depend a lot on Afghanistan. If Afghanistan beat Papua New Guinea, New Zealand will be knocked out.
