New Delhi, Feb 16 Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand will eye to turn the fortunes when they start their Champions Trophy campaign against host Pakistan in Karachi in the tournament opener on February 19.
New Zealand, placed in Group A along with India, Bangladesh and host Pakistan, will look to clinch their second Champions Trophy title after 2000. However, in the recent ICC tournaments, the team has established itself as a force to reckon with in the title battle.
As New Zealand eye their maiden Champions Trophy triumph, here's a SWOT analysis from IANS of the Kiwi side to give a clear perspective of their squad combination.
Strength: New Zealand's unbeaten run in the Tri-Nation Series against Pakistan and South Africa have them a perfect head start ahead of the eight-team marquee tournament. On paper, batting seems to be their biggest strength, with veteran Kane Williamson showing sublime touch while Will Young and Devon Conway are expected to give a promising start to the innings in the absence of injured Rachin Ravindra, who is progressing well after sustaining a head injury against Pakistan last week.
With Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell in the middle order, they have enough batting depth to hammer any opponent in the tournament.
Weakness: With injury ruling out pacer Ben Sears while speedster Lockie Ferguson is still recovering from his hamstring, he sustained during the ILT20, where he was leading the Desert Vipers. After the retirements of Trent Boult and Tim Southee last year, New Zealand will be without their experienced duo and the fresh injuries further shrunk their pace arsenal.
In addition, Ravindra's head injury ahead of the big tournament is a setback for the side, which is already battling with injuries. Meanwhile, the opener is expected to be fit to play a part in the tournament, but the balance of the side is expected to be affected due to his absence.
Opportunity: Santner, a left-arm spinner with 117 ODI scalps, is the most experienced bowler in their side and on slow and turning Pakistan and Dubai pitches, he will be a crucial cog in their bowling line-up. The one positive thing for the side is their all-round abilities, with Phillips and Ravindra also able to contribute with the ball.
On the other hand, the pace trio of Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith will have a chance to rise up to the occasion and fill the void of experienced veterans following their retirements. Ferguson's availability will be a major boost for the side in their title hopes.
Threat: One of the major tasks for the Blackcaps will be to weather the middle overs on the spin-friendly sub-continent pitches. With Williamson leading the potent batting attack, it will be interesting to see how other Kiwi batters will keep the scoreboard ticking on tricky conditions.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
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