ICC World Cup 2019 | SWOT analysis â New Zealand
Sportscafe
The 2015 defeat would still be fresh in their memories and New Zealand would be looking to prove their worth yet again this season. They are widely acknowledged as the dark horses and have been often underestimated, but have managed to punch above their weight on a regular basis.
New Zealand have made it to the semi-finals on six occasions and a final in their history of ICC World Cups, which pretty much is a testament to their consistency. For this edition, they have immense experience in the squad and well capable of creating an impact. With some in-form players and the core being intact, New Zealand stand a golden chance to show the world that 2015 wasnât just a fluke.Â
Kane Williamson has marshalled his troops well in recent times and has grown as a captain; he also has the likes of experienced Ross Taylor, Boult, and Guptill for assistance. Since the 2015 World Cup, New Zealand have won 47 out of 81 ODIs played with a winning percentage of just over 58 and one can expect the Kiwi side to put up a show.  Â
Strength
Excellent core
New Zealand may not have the best of the line-ups, but they do have a fantastic core, which can wreak havoc in a big tournament like World Cup. The likes of Guptill, Williamson, Taylor, Boult, Santner and Southee have been around for a while and carry immense experience on their shoulder. Most of them have gotten even better since 2015 World Cup, except Southee, who has had a hot and cold run.Â
They have been in crunch situations before and know how to handle pressure. Not to forget, New Zealand is one side that is blessed with quality all-rounders. Santner, de Grandhomme and Neesham, who are utility cricketers and bring solid depth to the line-up. Williamson and Taylor will hold the key for New Zealand with the bat as the skipper boasts of an incredible record in England while Taylor has been in good form off late. Taylor boasts of a staggering average of just over 84 in ODIs played in last one year while Williamsonâs recent run may not be something to be weary off, but his ODI average of 62.69 in England should ring the alarm in opponentâs dugout.
Weakness
BowlingÂ
There is no denying the fact that New Zealandâs bowling is over-reliant on Boult with Southee also misfiring occasionally. None of the others are proven match-winners, even the spinners donât wear an intimidating look. If there is some help in the surface, New Zealandâs bowling attack will certainly do well, but the problem arises if the surface is flat, which is an expected scenario in England.Â
There is a dearth of death bowlers, a weakness that teams like India, Australia, and England will exploit brutally. While Santner has done reasonably well, New Zealand lack that attacking factor in their spin department.  Â
OpportunityÂ
New Zealand were unstoppable in the 2015 World Cup under the watchful eyes of Brenndon McCullum. However, many believed it was just a good phase for the side that coincided with the World Cup. This is their golden chance to show the world that 2015 wasnât just a flash in the pan. They can do very well if they pull their weight together. They have the potential and bat deep, which could work in their favour on batting-friendly surfaces of England.Â
ThreatÂ
New Zealand have well-documented troubles against wrist-spin, which was their undoing in the 4-1 drubbing at home against India. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal exploited their weaknesses brutally and most of the teams have effective wrist-spinners in their ranks, which New Zealand batsmen would be aware of. They certainly need to be more cautious against the likes of Kuldeep, Chahal, Imran Tahir, Adil Rashid, Rashid Khan, Shadab Khan among others.Â
SportsCafe Predicted XI: Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.Â
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.
