New Zealand's Kane Williamson previews vital Cricket World Cup clash with Sri Lanka

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New Zealand's Kane Williamson previews their vital Cricket World Cup clash with Sri Lanka, a win would all but secure their place in the semi-finals

Transcript

00:00 Can obviously have had a few casualties in your squad over the last few days.

00:11 How's everyone lining up ahead of tomorrow's match?

00:14 Yeah, probably the first time we've had a fully fit squad, although obviously had to

00:21 rule a player out in Matt Henry.

00:24 But yeah, I believe everybody's fit coming into this one, fit-ish.

00:35 Hi Kane, obviously a lot of permutations and combinations going ahead, with rain also predicted.

00:40 So what's the conversation in the camp like?

00:43 Yeah, I mean for us it's having a look today, looking at the surface.

00:51 And for us as a team it's trying to keep building on the positives that have been there, and

00:57 adjusting to the different conditions that you're faced with, which is part and parcel

01:04 of playing at a World Cup.

01:06 So small improvements, that's something we've wanted to do throughout.

01:11 And there's been some good stuff, so we want to try and build on that going into tomorrow.

01:15 Hi Kane, as we know it's a very important fixture tomorrow in terms of qualification.

01:20 Looking at the weather, is there any sort of tension or pressure within the team, having

01:24 won first four matches and losing four matches then?

01:27 Is there any sort of pressure within the team?

01:31 I mean you naturally want to win as many as you can, and we did start off well in terms

01:37 of those results.

01:39 But there were also some really close games and ones that we lost.

01:44 And so I think if we look at the cricket on a whole, there has been a lot of good cricket

01:49 and we've seen a lot of teams here playing really good cricket.

01:55 And coming into it we knew that anybody can beat anybody, and we've certainly seen that.

01:59 There's been so many, every team's won a few.

02:06 And so yeah, I mean it's just trying to focus on our cricket and try and put out better

02:10 performances.

02:11 And I guess that's sort of the beauty of this type of layout, is that you do play everybody.

02:19 You are challenged by everybody in different ways.

02:21 So the focus is much more about your own cricket and how you look to try and handle that.

02:28 Kane, I'm sure you must have seen Glenn Maxwell's innings yesterday.

02:32 Pretty unbelievable.

02:33 What did you make of it?

02:35 Yeah, an incredibly special knock.

02:41 Not just obviously the run specifically, but the situation.

02:47 He was clearly struggling physically and to be able to pull that off in a partnership

02:52 with Pat Cummings is without a doubt one of the great World Cup victories for Australia

02:59 and probably for any team to witness.

03:02 And at the same time, a tough one for Afghanistan.

03:06 They've been excellent and probably won sort of 80, 90% of that game.

03:13 And as we know in white ball cricket, it can change quickly.

03:18 And that was an amazing example of that and a special knock to watch.

03:23 This is regarding the spirit of the game.

03:28 We saw what happened to Agnello Matthews and also Maxwell.

03:34 You know, do you think that it's quite inhuman?

03:36 Of course, it is not in your domain.

03:38 It is in the domain of the ICC.

03:40 Is it an inhuman law that a runner is not provided to Glenn Maxwell?

03:47 Because there was no chance of him misusing this law or clause, whatever it is.

03:55 So you're wondering whether there should be runners?

03:58 The earlier, they were runners.

04:00 So don't you think it is very kind of inhuman or spirit of the game it affects?

04:06 Yeah, I haven't actually thought too much about that.

04:09 I don't sort of believe it's been too much of an issue, you know,

04:12 over the years that we have been playing without runners.

04:18 And it certainly made Glenn flick a switch in a way that was quite special.

04:26 Yeah, I mean, it's not something that I guess I can really speak to,

04:31 except for the, you know, perhaps you see the odd case where it might be required.

04:37 But ultimately, by and large, it's not really been an issue, I don't think.

04:44 Kane, Lockie's coming back after a few games.

04:47 What does he kind of add to your attack?

04:51 Yeah, I mean, he balances out our attack nicely

04:55 and made some really valuable contributions in the tournament so far

05:01 and brings a bit of experience as well.

05:03 So, you know, naturally comes in and bowls with that high pace.

05:07 And it complements our new ball bowlers.

05:12 So, yeah, we'll have to have a look at the surface and decide on our balance.

05:16 And just staying with the fast bowling, Trent,

05:18 I mean, obviously, New Zealand have had a really good history of doing well with the new ball,

05:23 but in this tournament, it hasn't quite clicked for you in all the matches.

05:29 How do you feel, you know, Bolt is still there.

05:32 How do you feel about that phase of the game?

05:34 And what do you think has kind of gone wrong for you at times during the course of the tournament?

05:42 Yeah, I mean, without a doubt, he's world class and there's probably a few factors there.

05:47 And, you know, the second half or a few of these games that we've had,

05:52 pitches have been very good and players have been playing really well.

05:56 And perhaps whether you're playing day games or night games,

06:01 it can be quite dependent on the assistance you might get as well with the new ball.

06:05 So there are a lot of factors, but ultimately it's about looking to adapt and adjust your game.

06:12 And if you're always trying to get wickets and you're trying to get early wickets,

06:17 but if it isn't to happen, then it's about trying to win other parts of the game and adjusting.

06:23 And I mean, he's very experienced and done that on a number of occasions.

06:27 And yes, I mean, there's another opportunity tomorrow for the guys to go out and operate

06:35 and certainly try and apply their skills as well as they can and see what happens.

06:42 Ken, the Chinnaswamy ground is a notoriously high scoring ground.

06:47 Even 400 the last time was not enough.

06:51 So how do you sort of reconcile what a good score is here when even 400 may not be enough?

07:00 Yeah, I mean, it's interesting.

07:02 Obviously it took something quite special to chase that, albeit a shortened version of chasing 400,

07:09 but still a really special knock to get across the line.

07:13 But you're right, usually it does have quite high scoring games.

07:19 But we'll still have to very much see what the pitch is like.

07:22 There's been a lot of weather around and it could look different tomorrow.

07:26 So we'll just have to play what's in front of us and focus on our skills as a batting and bowling unit,

07:33 whether that's looking to be aggressive or trying to handle some death overs as well as we can,

07:40 or with the bat, assess conditions and try and do the job and build those partnerships.

07:45 So yeah, we'll just have to keep adjusting to what's in front of us

07:49 and looking to try and win certain parts of the game that can have a big difference,

07:55 because naturally with high scoring games there's perhaps slightly higher risk cricket

07:59 and there might be some opportunities, despite not seeing those the other day

08:03 when we did have a large score on the board.

08:05 But yeah, that's cricket.

08:09 Ken, a word on Ratan Ravindra's performance at this World Cup.

08:12 How surprised or not surprised have you been with his batting exploits?

08:16 And do you see him having a role with the ball at any point tomorrow if the need arises?

08:22 Yeah.

08:22 A word on Ratan's World Cup.

08:24 Yeah.

08:26 Incredible.

08:28 Look, clearly an amazing talent and sort of just entered the side and the international arena

08:36 and to walk into a World Cup, and not just any World Cup, but here in India.

08:44 And in a lot of ways, come into a role that perhaps when he's had exposure in our team

08:50 he hasn't played in that opening sort of top three, top order spot,

08:55 and do what he's done is amazing.

08:58 And we sort of knew the talent was there,

09:02 but to come out and repeat and be one of the players of the tournament so far,

09:09 because not only with the bat, but he's also making really valuable contributions with the ball.

09:14 Yeah, very, very special player and great that he's on our side.

09:21 Yeah.

09:22 Ken, one eye on the sky and a lot of maths to be worked out.

09:28 How do you all as a team mentally prepare for a game like this?

09:34 Yeah, I mean, there's lots of things that we can't control and the weather is one of those.

09:40 So, you know, you mentioned that there might be some of it.

09:44 There may be a thought in the back of your mind,

09:46 but at the end of the day, our focus will be on the cricket that we want to play

09:50 and trying to put all our focus and energy into that.

09:55 We know that that gives us the best chance of putting out a good performance.

10:00 And so that'll be what we try and do.

10:04 Ken, you were in a similar position, I think, in 2019,

10:08 at the end of the kind of league stage, trying to get into that semifinal lot,

10:12 have been to two knockout stages before in World Cups

10:16 and have a lot of the same players involved in this campaign,

10:19 as well as a kind of a sense that at this stage, at the kind of crunch end of the World Cup,

10:23 there's a bit of know-how in the New Zealand camp

10:26 or there's a little bit of confidence having done it a couple of times

10:29 before having been in similar situations?

10:31 Yeah, I mean, I suppose the guys have had some of those experiences,

10:34 but it's another game on another day and four years later.

10:40 So, you know, the focus is here and now and on the conditions

10:47 and how we want to adjust and the cricket that we want to play.

10:49 And I think that that is the most important thing.

10:52 I mean, you have nine pool games that are all as important as each other.

10:58 And so it's very difficult to try and sort of target which game means what.

11:03 It's just every game means something similar.

11:05 And so the focus is to come back to us as a team and the cricket that we want to play.

11:10 So that's what we'll be trying to do,

11:12 as we've been trying to do throughout this competition

11:15 and try and make those small improvements, like you mentioned.

11:18 Cheers.

11:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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