New Zealand can reach WC fil, says coach

Wellington, Jan 9: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said the 15–member strong squad selected for next month’s cricket World Cup possesses the right mix of youth and experience to realise the Kiwis’ dream of entering the fils.

“I think within the squad we’ve got an ability to adapt to different conditions and I don’t think we’ll be rolling out the same 11 every game, depending on the surfaces we face,” Hesson was quoted as saying by cricket.com au on Friday.

“The fact we’ve got two spinners in the squad gives us options, the fact we’ve got guys with genuine pace means we can attack different sides in different ways.”

Grant Elliot’s inclusion raised eyebrows as the all–rounder hasn’t played for the tiol team since November 2013, but Hesson justified his recall saying he provides the team multiple options which they require.

“Grant has performed well in New Zealand and Australian conditions. He’s in good form, he’s able to offer us a bowling option, and he’s experienced,” he said. “He’s also got a bit of craft about him in terms of how he manoeuvres the ball – he’s a welcome addition to the squad.”

Skipper Brendon McCullum said it was exciting to see the squad coming together, with just over five weeks until their first game against Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Feb 14.

“On paper, it’s without doubt the strongest team I’ve certainly been involved with heading into a World Cup,” he said. “But games aren’t won on paper, so we’ve got to make sure we’re able to transfer the look of our squad to performance out on the field.” IANS