The BLACKCAPS continued their unbeaten run in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with a comprehensive six wicket win over Afghanistan in Napier. BLACKCAPS coach Mike Hesson fronted the media this morning to talk about that result, Daniel Vettori’s milestone of 300 ODI wickets and the final match of Pool A against Bangladesh in Hamilton on Friday.
What did you make of that performance?
It was a pretty thorough performance really. I was really pleased with the effort. I thought we bowled nicely, we were pretty proficient in the field and it was a good chase. All in all job done.
Did you have to work harder for the win that you expected?
No. I think Afghanistan are a good side and we certainly didn’t underestimate them. Out of the associates I think they have the best bowling attack and their batsmen have got a lot of power. I was surprised that they didn’t go at us a little bit harder early on because they have some really good strikers.
Daniel was outstanding yesterday and he said he was surprised to take as many wickets as he has, how do you see that?
Dan is always capable of chipping wickets out but the fact that he is taking bags for us has been helpful. I think when any sides try to attack him that is when he takes wickets. They either respect him and he goes for 0- 30 or they try to go after him and if they do then he has a good chance of taking some wickets.
Has he proved to be a bonus weapon for you guys at the bowling crease?
Nathan has done a great job for us the past 12 months and he will again post World Cup. But the fact that Dan has added that extra strength to our attack and his ability to take wickets has been critical.
Looking ahead to Bangladesh; is there any reason why you would look to mix things up?
Sickness. We have a few guys who are quite ill today. We are in the middle of a World Cup. It is not a matter of thinking about tomorrow, it is a matter of not dropping the ball and keep putting in good performances. That is our focus. I am not sure who is struggling but I know that 2 or 3 of the guys are down. I will see how they scrub up tomorrow.
Dan said last night that this could be the start of something special for Afghanistan; do you concur with that viewpoint?
I think they will be the next big thing to be fair. I think most of their players do very well in first class cricket in Pakistan. They have got a huge number of players who get a lot of support around the world. I like the way the play their cricket. If they can get some instinct back with the bat I think they will surprise a few sides over the next few years.
Dan had some success with the change of ends, do you see that as a possible tactic like the 1992 side with Dipak Patel?
You’ll have to wait and see on that one. I think the ability to change pace, when you have guys who are able to get the pace of the wicket and generate a strike rate, I think Dan coming in changes the game and he has done that very well for us in the last couple of games.
How does this World Cup measure up to your expectations?
There was a lot of work done pre World Cup – we put in a lot of work to get the groundwork down in terms of the scouting – and then obviously with the games on TV at good times we are able to watch them , get the video and analyse them pretty quickly. It is a great tournament, there are great games on every day and we are all enjoying that. There are a lot of teams out there who are starting to play some good cricket. I think it’s a great format. The different facilities, every ground has its own characteristics, there have been some high scores and low scores like we had in Auckland. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable tournament.
What did you make of the Australia v Sri Lanka match and potentially how it will affect you?
It looks like Australia has firmed up No.2 in the rankings so they are likely to go on the other side of the draw. We are aware of that. I think that we saw two pretty good sides going head to head on a good surface. I think the Sri Lanka top order showed that no chase is insurmountable with the quality they have got.
If you face Australia again in this tournament, would you rather do it here or over there?
Well if we finish 1st and they finish 2nd in Pool A it can only be over there. We have plenty of good games ahead of us to get to that point. I think we would always want to play them in Auckland. The crowd we had last time was outstanding. Huge atmosphere, big occasion and the local foes so that would be nice.
What is the mind-set going into Bangladesh this week?
Bangladesh have done well against us in Bangladesh and we don’t forget that. It is a big game for us. We obviously want to get some momentum heading into the quarterfinal.
Is there a part of you that would like to see your bowling attack tested?
I am quite happy chasing 150.
