The Blackcaps won their five-match T20I series against Pakistan 4-1, failing to chase a low target in the final match of the tour, but when you ask coach Gary Stead about the health of New Zealand white-ball cricket, all signs point to a promising 2024 with the ICC T20 World Cup set to begin in June.
“Pakistan are one of the best T20 sides in the world. I think for us, that was a really good measurement of where we’re tracking,” Stead told Daniel McHardy on SENZ Mornings.
A tied series against Bangladesh left a sour taste for fans to end 2023, but New Zealand Cricket’s persistence to stick with Finn Allen as their opener appears to be paying off at the right time.
Scores of 34, 74, plus a record-breaking 137 in the third match set expectations sky high, that were tempered by totals of 8 and 22 at Hagley Oval over the weekend.
New Zealand had been well supported by Allen, along with the likes of Daryl Mitchell (72) and Glenn Phillips (70) in the fourth match when the top order failed to get going, producing a statement 7-wicket win to set up a potential clean sweep.
Pakistan winning the fifth T20 by 42 runs was a result that would bring any team back down to Earth considering how the first four matches went.
But the Blackcaps had to chop and change their lineup throughout the series due to illness and injury.
COVID struck Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, plus bowling coach Andre Adams, while a hamstring strain saw Kane Williamson retire hurt out of precaution in the second match.
Meanwhile, load management kept Mitchell out of the final match of the series, opening the door for Rachin Ravindra.
“I think the (Hagley Oval) surface was trickier than we anticipated at the start, but I thought Pakistan were still under par with their score and it should’ve been a score we were comfortable with,” Stead said.
“But that’s the challenge when we get on slightly different surfaces, our ability to adapt and adjust is something that we do hold dear, and we do talk about it. To me, it shows the value of Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway.”
During the Pakistan series, Tim Southee became the first bowler in T20 international cricket to reach 150 wickets as he took 4/25 at Eden Park, Adam Milne took 4/33 at Seddon Park, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson both enjoyed promising returns from injury, and newcomer Ben Sears continued to build his case for future selections.
"The worst possible start for his international career."
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Tim Southee strikes in the first over, dismissing Haseebullah Khan for a duck on debut!
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In the coming months, the selectors will decide on the 15 players they take for the T20 World Cup, but for now, Stead’s attention turns to the five-day game.
The third cycle of the current World Test Championship will see the Blackcaps host Australia and South Africa, before playing Sri Lanka and India overseas, then England again at home.
Stead admits that while he and fans alike do hold higher expectations for the Test side ever since winning the inaugural World Test Championship, he concedes that Test cricket is a ‘two-team race’ against stiff competition as they look to regain the mace off current holders Australia.
”This cycle will tell us where this Test team is at – I’m not convinced that winning Test matches all the time is something the public should expect,” Stead said.
“We’ve been through an incredibly great period with this team and there will be change that will come over the next three or four years as guys get towards the end of their career. That creates some real excitement around the group of who might come in and the competition that is still there within this team.”
SENZ will have live ball-by-ball coverage of the first Test against South Africa at Bay Oval from February 4.
Listen to the full interview below: