Cricket World Cup: New Zealand’s Preparations Hit by “Unacceptable” Practice Pitches
Port-of-Spain, 12 June 2024 – Both New Zealand and West Indies were forced to cut short their training sessions at the Brian Lara Stadium ahead of their crucial Group C clash on Wednesday night, as unfavorable weather and poor practice pitches hampered their preparations.
New Zealand Coach Unhappy with Practice Conditions
New Zealand coach Gary Stead revealed that his team had to abandon their afternoon training session an hour early due to “not really acceptable” practice strips. “The balls were going through the top of the surface, so we had a good fielding training instead. It was deemed not really acceptable to get anything out of the nets,” Stead said after returning to the team hotel.
West Indies Impacted by Rainy Season
Meanwhile, heavy rain wiped out West Indies’ floodlit session altogether, as the start of the rainy season in Trinidad posed significant challenges for the teams. “With the rain around, that can play a part in the scores,” West Indies captain Rovman Powell acknowledged. “If the groundsmen don’t have sufficient time to produce good wickets, that’s also a problem with the rain around. You don’t get enough time to sun. Hopefully tomorrow is a very good day in terms of the weather.”
Pressure on New Zealand to Perform
The poor practice conditions have further compounded New Zealand’s struggles, as they look to bounce back from a defeat against Afghanistan in their opening match. With a loss against West Indies effectively eliminating them from the World Cup, the pressure is on the Kiwis to perform.
Stead hinted at potential changes to the playing XI, with the inclusion of spinner Ish Sodhi and the return of all-rounder James Neesham being considered. “Every game, we try to go in and work out what our best match-ups are,” the coach said. “That comes from the data analysis and videos that we do in our scouting. I would expect there will be some changes.”
“If you look at the history of the ground here… it’s certainly not a 200 wicket or anything like that. The pitch looked interesting. For us, it’s about making sure we’ve got our bases covered.”
With their net run rate already significantly impacted by the loss to Afghanistan, New Zealand know they must win their remaining fixtures against West Indies, Uganda and Papua New Guinea to have a chance of progressing to the Super 8s. “We know what’s in front of us: we have to win three games and win them well,” Stead said. “It’s [about] still holding the belief and the confidence within the group that we can go out there and do this.”
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