T20 World Cup 2024: Kane Williamson reflects on New Zealand's tough WC campaign
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Jun 13, 2024, 8:01 PM ISTKane Williamson discusses New Zealand's challenging start at the T20 World Cup, reflecting on their defeat to West Indies and the team's strategy moving forward.
Kane Williamson is facing an unexpected challenge as New Zealand's T20 World Cup campaign hangs in the balance following a defeat to West Indies, leaving them reliant on other match results to progress. The New Zealand captain expressed his surprise at the prospect of an early tournament exit and discussed the difficulties his team has faced in the competition.
"It's a bit surreal," Williamson admitted when asked about the possibility of New Zealand being eliminated from the tournament so early. "Waiting to play and then having two matches in quick succession has been challenging from several perspectives. We've faced two very strong teams and the conditions throughout the competition have been tough. We expected this, and the margins are very small on these pitches. We need to find ways to improve and move the team forward."
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Williamson expressed frustration at the team's start to the tournament. "It's been frustrating to start the way we have," he said. "The conditions are the same for everyone, so we need to learn quickly. We have another game against Uganda coming up soon, so we need to improve our performances and gain from this experience. However, the equation is looking tough."
Reflecting on the match against West Indies, Williamson highlighted the challenges of bowling on the unpredictable pitches. "We knew we needed to get Sherfane Rutherford out, but the depth of West Indies' batting lineup proved beneficial for them today," he explained. "They managed to capitalize on a few balls here and there to push the score above par. Despite our efforts to restrict them to around 120, it didn't quite pay off."
He admitted the gamble of using fast bowlers in the crucial overs didn't work in their favour. "Whatever overs Mitchell and Santner bowled were going to be targeted," Williamson said. "That's the nature of T20 cricket these days, especially against teams with deep batting lineups. It's a constant game of strategy."
Despite the challenges, Williamson remains optimistic about the team's future. "There are still guys who will be here for some time," he assured. "We've been disappointed with our start, but after tournaments like this, we evaluate what we do and how we do it. We need to be more clinical and execute our plans better."
As New Zealand prepares for their next match, Williamson emphasized the importance of learning from their experiences and improving their game. "It's about being more clinical and seizing opportunities in the match," he concluded. "It's not easy, but we need to move forward and perform better in the upcoming matches."
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