ICC World Cup 2019 | New Zealand no longer dark horses as their players are so experienced, says Mike Gatting
Former England skipper Mike Gatting has said that the New Zealanders cannot be tagged as dark horses as they have a plethora of massively experienced players. New Zealand finished as the runner-up in the 2015 edition of the World Cup and surprised many with their awe-inspiring run in the tournament.
Under the belligerent captaincy of Brendon McCullum, New Zealand had an inspiring run in the 2015 World Cup. They remained undefeated till the final, where they lost to Australia after succumbing to just 182 in 50 overs. However, the Kiwis have done well in recent times and have been led well by their skipper Kane Williamson. Mike Gatting has asserted that New Zealand have a good core of experienced players and cannot be written off in a tournament like the World Cup.
“You can no longer call them dark horses as their players are so experienced. They play some great cricket, they always play as a team and they are well led by Kane Williamson. Ross Taylor is also a fine batsman, and in Tim Southee and Trent Boult they have match-winning bowlers,” Gatting was quoted by the Cricketer Magazine.
New Zealand suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Australia, which Ross Taylor feels could motivate the players this edition. Taylor will be featuring in his fourth World Cup this season, which could also be his last, and one can expect him to come out all guns blazing.
“We need the key people playing well during the World Cup, and luck will be a big factor as well. Hopefully, we can go one step further than we did four years ago in New Zealand. We were pipped at the last one, but I think the players will use that as motivation."