It has been a tremendous run for New Zealand in the ICC events for almost a decade as the Blackcaps made it to the final of ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and 2019, World Test Championship in 2021 and T20 World Cup 2021 and semi-finals of T20 World Cup 2016 and 2022 and ODI World Cup 2023 but it may have finally stopped this time around in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. New Zealand suffered a hammering against Afghanistan and then lost to the West Indies as well to witness their campaign being shattered to pieces.
Asked in the post-match press conference after his side's 13-run loss to the West Indies if this T20 World Cup was end of an era, Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson didn't think so. "No, I think there are still guys that will be here for some time," said Williamson. "I think if we look at the two matches to start off, no doubt they have been disappointing [when] you come to a world event. You want to start well and to be honest, we needed to be better in these conditions specifically."
"We know that it's going to be a real scrap and it's not going to be easy. But if you win some small moments, match-ups go your way, that can be a defining element to your whole tournament. And that hasn't happened for us, which is frustrating but no doubt after tournaments like this you revisit what it is you do and how you do it and the conditions you have experienced and look at ways to get better," Williamson added.
Captain Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Jimmy Neesham and Ish Sodhi have been a few players playing for the Kiwis together for a long time. New Zealand still have two games left and even though the qualification remains highly unlikely for them, the Black Caps would want to sign off on a high.
New Zealand going ahead will depend a lot on Afghanistan. If Afghanistan beat Papua New Guinea, New Zealand will be knocked out.
