The T20 World Cup has come back with another exciting edition. Since the beginning, the tournament has spread excitement as the teams are fighting hard for the ultimate goal. At this point, New Zealand’s performance is grabbing attention. They faced a heartbreaking defeat of 84 runs against Afghanistan. That was a huge setback. After that defeat, former New Zealand player Ian Smith heavily criticized the Kiwis for their sloppy and disorganized performance.
New Zealand’s Poor Performance and Ian Smith’s View:
In the 14th match of the T20 World Cup, New Zealand faced Afghanistan. That match was a disaster as the Kiwis failed in every department. While bowling in the first innings, Trent Boult and Mat Henry got 2 wickets each and restricted the opponents in 159 runs. Their batting performance was even more heartbreaking. Their entire batting lineup failed in front of the Afghan bowling attack. Glenn Phillips scored 18 runs in 18 balls. That was the highest score for the Kiwis in that innings. They got all out only in 75 runs.
Ian Smith, former New Zealand cricketer, slammed the Kiwis for their lackluster and chaotic performance. He expressed concern over the management’s lack of cricket-playing experience, emphasizing the need for a more seasoned approach to lead the team. The Kiwi legend said, “They’ve got to beat the West Indies, and hope that they (West Indies) get beaten by Afghanistan, because New Zealand’s run rate situation is so poor we’re going to be very behind the eight ball when it comes to that.”
Further, he added, “I just don’t know they’re going to get up to speed from the flat performance they had the other day (against Afghanistan). What kind of team are they going to pick? Are they going to make any changes? The people they bring in haven’t played any cricket either.”
On Conway’s Form:
Devon Conway returned to the New Zealand lineup for the first time since recovering from a finger injury. Having been sidelined from cricket, including the Indian Premier League 2024 with the Chennai Super Kings, Conway’s comeback was highly anticipated. However, his performance fell short of expectations as he struggled to find his rhythm, managing only eight runs off ten balls while opening the batting. Critics, including Smith, noted his apparent rustiness and lack of form.
While talking about him, Sith said, “He (Conway) looked decidedly rusty, in fact very average, he looked down on practice with the gloves on. And he’s been out of form with the bat for a little while. Apart from the fact that he’s had injures, Conway played no cricket in the IPL even though he was contracted, and still they maintained they didn’t need to have anything like a specialist wicketkeeper in this tournament.”
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