New Zealand Team Preview ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

 

If you look back at the history of the World Cups, you’d find New Zealand as one of the consistent sides to have never won the tournament. The closest they came to was in the last edition when under the aggressive leadership of Brendon McCullum, the BlackCaps made their way into the finals, only to be beaten by a better side on the day,

But, more than the World Cup, Brendon McCullum biggest contribution to New Zealand cricket will always be the infusion of the killer instinct which the sides’ of the past have lacked. McCullum may have retired- and New Zealand will miss him at the top of the order- but Kane Williamson, though not as expressive and aggressive as his former deputy, has done well in the leadership role in all three formats.

If you look at New Zealand’s 15-man squad for the World Cup, it looks like a side which has almost every base covered. Barring the struggling Colin Munro at the top, the Kiwis have one of the leading ODI openers in the world in the form of Martin Guptill. Guptill, who averages more than 50 on English soil, has the ability to take the games away from the opposition in space of few overs. One can recall his match-winning 237 against the West Indies in the quarter-final of the 2015 World Cup.

If Guptill can find form and give his side a good start at the top, it allows the likes of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, and Henry Nicholls to play their natural game without worrying too much about the scoring rate. Since the 2015 World Cup, Williamson and Taylor have been the bedrock of New Zealand’s batting unit, scoring 2868 and 2892 runs at an average of 47.01 and 68.85 respectively.

Taylor, in particular, has been in the form of his life in the past four or five years. In 59 games since the World Cup, Taylor has scored eight hundred and if the warm-up games are any indication, the right-hander looks set to play a huge role in what will probably be his last appearance in a Cricket World Cup.

The side has a couple of decent all-rounders like James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, who can contribute with both the bat and ball. 

In Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, the Kiwis have a variety in their spin-bowling unit which might turn out to be the X-Factor for the side.

The pace resources for New Zealand are in good shape as Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, and Tim Southee will be looking to breakthroughs with the new-ball.

It will be interesting to see whether New Zealand can finally break their trophy drought in this World Cup. 

New Zealand World Cup Squad

Captain - Kane Williamson

Batsmen – Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham, Tom Blundell

Veteran opener Martin Guptill will be one player to watch out for New Zealand in this year’s World Cup. He has produced impressive numbers in the World Cups and scored 809 runs in 17 matches with two centuries to his name. The 32-year old has shown excellent form this season and scored 464 runs in 10 matches at an average of 51.55.

All-rounders - Colin Munro, Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner

James Neesham might be the designated pinch-hitter for New Zealand in the later stages of the innings. He is certainly one player that can clear the ropes without much fuss. He might bowl some overs if when required by New Zealand in a particular game.

Bowlers – Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi

Trent Boult was the standout performer for the side in the previous edition of the World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand. He finished the competition with 22 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 16.86. Left-arm pacer will be looking to do well in this year’s World Cup and might be a handful in English conditions that provide assistance to quick bowlers.

New Zealand History in the tournament

There is a reason why New Zealand is referred to as the "dark horses" in Cricket World Cups. Having never been regarded as pre-tournament favorites barring the 1992 & 2015 event, the Kiwis have always punched above their weights in the marquee event. The Kiwis started their World Cup journey in 1975 and have since then qualified in the top-4 in seven of eleven events held thus far.

Since the 1999 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand has actually done a lot better than most people think. Barring the 2003 World Cup where they forfeited their matches against Kenya and Zimbabwe, the Kiwis have qualified for the last four in every tournament. Their highest point came in the previous edition where they beat South Africa in a cliffhanger to qualify for their first World Cup final.

The 2015 World Cup was a special time for New Zealand as a nation. It was the first time since their heartbreaking defeat to Pakistan in the semi-finals that the World Cup was coming to their turf and like in 1992; they had an inspirational leader in Brendon McCullum. Throughout that World Cup, New Zealand was easily the most exciting side to watch thanks to McCullum’s aggressive brand of cricket.

It was a real pity that the BlackCaps fell short of World Cup glory against Australia.

Here is New Zealand's performance throughout the previous cricket world cup tournaments and the respective champions:

• 1992 Semi-finals Pakistan
• 1996 Quarter-finals Sri Lanka
• 1999 Semifinals Australia
• 2003 Group stage Australia
• 2007 Semi-finals Australia
• 2011 Quarter-finals India
• 2015 Semi-finals Australia

Latest News

• Wicket-keeper Tom Blundell was a surprise selection after Tim Seifert was ruled out due to injury. Experienced keeper BJ Watling was not even considered for the mega event.
• James Neesham and Tom Latham managed to retain their places in the World Cup squad

New Zealand World Cup Schedule

New Zealand destroyed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in their opening match of the competition at Cardiff on June 1, whereas their last round-robin match is against England on July 3 at Chester-le-Street.

• 01 June Cardiff New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 03:00 PM
• 05 June London New Zealand vs Bangladesh 05:00 PM
• 08  June Taunton New Zealand vs Afghanistan 05:00 PM
• 13 June Nottingham New Zealand vs India 03:00 PM
• 19 June Birmingham New Zealand vs South Africa 03:00 PM
• 22 June Manchester New Zealand vs West Indies 05:00 PM
• 26 June Birmingham New Zealand vs Pakistan 03:00 PM
• 29 June London New Zealand vs Australia 05:00 PM
• 03 July Chester-le-Street New Zealand vs England 03:00 PM

New Zealand Cricket World Cup Prediction

At Betrally, New Zealand is placed at the fourth place to Win 2019 Cricket World Cup and outright odds are 10.00

New Zealand is expected to qualify for the semifinals of the competition. The side will definitely beat teams like South Africa, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.

For New Zealand, the outright odds for New Zealand Captain Kane Williamson were 2.75. The side is certainly one of the contenders to win this year’s World Cup. 2015 World Cup Finalists will be looking to end their trophy drought on English soil.

Cricket World Cup Betting Tips and Predictions

For all the news and updates related to the New Zealand cricket team, you can check circbettingbuzz.com. Cricket Punters, who will be supporting New Zealand in this year’s World Cup, can place their bets on their favorite with our selected list of premium cricket betting sites. Also, you can check our cricket prediction articles for the 2019 Cricket World Cup to get more information on your favorite team and their scheduled games in the competition.