Wellington: England’s stupendous success in limited overs cricket has forced the opposition teams to consider having different teams and coaches in different formats but New Zealand captain Kane Williamson believes That it is possible to do this only when the pool of talent is large. Williamson was referring to teams like India having a large pool of reserve players, which is not possible in a small country like New Zealand. England have Brendon McCullum as the coach for the Test team while the limited overs team is coached by Matthew Mott.
“There is so much cricket being played which is challenging not only for the players but also for the support staff,” Williamson said in a virtual press conference ahead of the T20 series against India starting Friday. “Playing matches every two or three days, which has its own challenges. There is a need to strike a balance in different formats across the world.
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“Some countries have a huge pool of players who can do that. You are always trying to strike a balance so that the players stay fresh.” Williamson, who lost the T20 World Cup semi-final last week, was asked whether England had set new standards for playing T20 cricket.
“There are many strong T20 teams and we saw a lot of ups and downs in the tournament. England played very aggressive cricket which was in line with the balance of their team. Every team likes to work on their strengths and play according to them. The series against India will see three T20Is and three ODIs, which will be crucial in preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup in India. India’s senior players are out of the series but Williamson believes the Indian team is deep enough to pose a tough challenge for the hosts. After the disappointing performance in the World Cup, there will be many changes in the Indian team. Fast bowler Umran Malik has been given a chance to prove himself on a big scale.
Williamson, who played with Malik in the IPL, said, “Umran is very talented. Spent a lot of time with him last year and speed is his strength. It will be wonderful to see him play at the international level. Martin Guptill and Trent Boult could not find a place in the New Zealand squad but Williamson said both are part of New Zealand’s strategy and other players need to be given a chance while looking at the future. (agency)