ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – Kane Williamson – ‘Not over but’ for New Zealand’s golden technology
“It isn’t over simply but” for this group of New Zealand cricketers, Kane Williamson mentioned* after his facet’s elimination from the 2023 World Cup with a 70-run defeat to India within the first semi-final on Wednesday night time. Their golden technology of gamers are nonetheless but to win a World Cup collectively in both white-ball format, however Williamson insisted that they’ve a future.New Zealand have one of many oldest squads within the event, with solely two gamers aged youthful than 28, and the core might be of their mid-to-late-30s come the following 50-over World Cup in 2027. Trent Boult and Tim Southee, the oldest gamers of their squad at 34, have been each costly as India racked up 397 for 4, ending with mixed figures of 4 for 186 throughout their 20 overs.
“It is an ongoing effort as a facet to maintain making an attempt to get higher and push the boundaries of the place we will get to as a staff,” Williamson mentioned. “You may solely hope that, as we skilled from a few of our leaders as younger guys, that we will proceed to deliver gamers by means of – not simply within the high quality that [the senior players] deliver, as a result of we have seen that in spades all through the final seven weeks, but in addition in how they’re approaching their cricket with a purpose to attempt to transfer this staff forwards.
“I feel we have seen that too – so some good indicators, actually, on this final time frame. It isn’t over simply but, however that is the place the main focus is. You come to those tournaments and they are often small margins [which determine] whether or not you get additional or not, however finally, it is about rising as a gaggle and changing into a greater cricket staff. I feel the seven weeks have been actually invaluable for us as a facet: we needed to go additional, naturally, however we’ll replicate on it and take a number of good out of it.”
Williamson conceded that India had successfully batted his facet out of the sport on the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. “They did not give us a sniff, actually,” he mentioned. “I suppose should you bat first and put 400 on the board, it is a tick within the batting column and also you go and attempt to do the job within the second half. It was powerful on the market: the ball swung quite a bit initially, so we needed to work fairly exhausting however credit score to India.
“We did not create many significant alternatives that would truly change the move of runs in that first half, and that wasn’t by means of lack of effort. It was simply high quality on the opposition facet and we have been type of looking. They did it nicely from the beginning. For us, it is sucking it up and taking it on the chin; taking these experiences to change into a greater facet and transfer ahead.”
Williamson mentioned that he would have chosen to bat first if he had received the toss, and mentioned that circumstances modified as the sport wore on. “It was a used wicket, however a fairly good floor, actually,” he mentioned. “Circumstances change as they go beneath lights… that is high quality: that is what you anticipated, they usually performed rather well.
“We might have batted as nicely, however it’s the toss of a coin, is not it? You are still making an attempt to function no matter what you do [first]. They usually actually made probably the most of that chance. It isn’t all on the toss, however they made finest use of the circumstances that they had. We have been actually making an attempt our greatest [but] it did not fairly go our means right now.”
New Zealand began the event with 4 consecutive wins however misplaced 5 of their last six video games, and struggled within the absence of the injured Matt Henry. Williamson himself solely performed 4 of their 10 matches, fracturing his thumb after getting back from an ACL rupture, and admitted that accidents had been powerful to take care of.
“The accidents weren’t useful – you by no means need these – however there was nonetheless some good cricket there, and we had a few shut losses… we had our fair proportion of bits and items go on, however that is life. Most groups are coping with one thing on any given day, however I feel the perspective that the fellows saved coming again with [was good].”
19.30 GMT – This story was up to date with contemporary quotes
