The captain of the New Zealand cricket team, Kane Williamson, chose to focus on the positive aspects after his team’s loss to Pakistan in a rain-affected World Cup match. This defeat has left the Black Caps in a difficult position in their pursuit of a spot in the semi-finals. New Zealand, who currently occupy fourth place, managed to score a massive 401 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 50 overs. However, they were unable to contain the powerful batting performance of Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, who smashed 126 runs off just 81 balls before the match was abandoned due to rain. Consequently, Pakistan won the match by 21 runs according to the DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) method.
In order to secure a place in the knockout stage, New Zealand must win their upcoming match against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, reaching a total of 10 points and ensuring a better net run rate than at least one other team that could finish with the same number of points. Alternatively, they could end with eight points and a superior net run rate compared to other teams on the same points. Despite the challenging situation, Williamson stated that his team would strive to finish strongly. He emphasized the need to focus on their own game rather than relying on the results of other teams, acknowledging that small margins, such as run rate and the outcome of the last match, could make a significant difference.
Williamson praised the efforts of his batsmen, particularly highlighting Rachin Ravindra’s third century of the tournament. However, he did not fault the bowlers who dealt with the aggression of Fakhar during Pakistan’s innings. He expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance in the first half of the match, noting the presence of several strong partnerships and the ability to achieve a competitive total. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the difficulty faced by the bowlers in the second half, attributing it to the challenging weather conditions. Williamson commended Pakistan’s performance, especially Fakhar’s batting display, stating that few grounds would have been large enough to contain his shots.
Shrivathsa Sridhar reporting in Bengaluru; edited by Clare Fallon
