TOM LATHAM ON NEW ZEALAND'S CHAMPIONS TROPHY OPENER AGAINST PAKISTAN

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TOM LATHAM ON NEW ZEALAND'S CHAMPIONS TROPHY OPENER AGAINST PAKISTAN  18/02/2025  ICC25

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00:00Hi, Tom.

00:10Hi.

00:20Do you know why you're training later than usual, with a slightly short turnaround with the game tomorrow afternoon?

00:38No, not too sure. That's just the time we were allocated, so guys will prepare as best they can tonight and get ready for tomorrow.

00:48And do you have an update on Rachid?

00:51He will train tonight, so then we will get a bit more of an indication of how he's going.

00:57His recovery is obviously going good, but we just need to make sure. It's obviously a pretty nasty injury,

01:03so especially when you're involved in the head, you want to make sure things are right.

01:08So just going through the protocols that he needs to go to, and we'll wait and see.

01:14You've spent more time in Karachi than obviously any other side besides Pakistan.

01:18Do you think there's an added advantage to that?

01:20Do you feel you understand the conditions here now ahead of that game, especially having had that final before as a bit of a dry run?

01:27Yeah, I think any time you've been in conditions that you're coming up against is vital.

01:32I think we're lucky we've travelled here over the last couple of years and played Pakistan quite a bit since,

01:39probably over the last three years, so I think for us it's always about trying to eliminate any surprises around conditions

01:46or surprises around teams that you come up against.

01:50I guess from both teams, Pakistan and us have got information on each other,

01:56so it's going to be another cracking game tomorrow, I'm sure.

02:00The opening game of the Champions Trophy is really special,

02:03and to be playing against a host nation is going to be a great occasion,

02:07so yeah, we're looking forward to it.

02:18Tom, the Kiwis are flying high now.

02:21You have won three games and you won the warm-up games.

02:24Do you think your team is doing well in spin and fast bowling as well as in batting?

02:30Do you think that early peaking sometimes creates some trouble?

02:36What do you think?

02:38Yeah, it's obviously nice to be performing.

02:41I guess you look throughout the tri-series and the warm-up game,

02:45we've been fortunate enough that everyone throughout the squad has had some time in the middle,

02:50whether it be with the ball or with the bat.

02:52It's nice that we've been playing well.

02:55I think throughout the tri-series we were put under pressure in all three games,

03:00and we obviously managed to overcome that and come out on the right side.

03:03So yeah, obviously it's nice that we've got the results,

03:06but I think at the same time it's nice that we've been able to overcome that pressure,

03:10as I just said, and hopefully that will hold us in good stead for what we've got coming up tomorrow,

03:15but also the other games to follow.

03:20Ledham, 2-0 against Pakistan in the tri-series.

03:23Obviously, if you look at the final match, your spinners made a huge difference.

03:28Santner and Bracewell both together conceded just 58 runs in 20 overs.

03:33Do you think that was the upper hand for you guys,

03:37as far as if you compare your spinner tag with Pakistan?

03:41They only have one regular spinner, Abrar Ahmed.

03:45Yeah, as you mentioned, those guys were fantastic through the middle.

03:49I guess in one-day cricket, if you're not taking wickets,

03:52then you've got to be able to control a run rate,

03:54and I thought those two guys did it fantastically well.

03:57I think the guys up top, we managed to take some early wickets,

04:01which is really important in one-day cricket,

04:03but even though there was a little bit of a partnership in that last game,

04:06as you said, Mitch and Michael were able to control the run rate

04:11and put some pressure on that middle order,

04:13and I guess in turn we managed to take some wickets towards the back end,

04:17which was fantastic.

04:19As I just said earlier, we've been fortunate enough

04:23that the fast bowlers and the spinners have had some great head-outs

04:27throughout the tri-series,

04:28and hopefully that will hold them in good stead for what we've got coming up.

04:32Latham, what's the update about playing XI tomorrow,

04:35and Jameson will be available?

04:38When will he be joining the team, and what will be the team for tomorrow?

04:41Do you get any news?

04:42No, we haven't got an XI yet.

04:44We've obviously got training now,

04:46and we'll come up with what the XI will be.

04:50As you said, Karl Jameson is on his way over tomorrow,

04:53so he unfortunately won't be available for tomorrow's game,

04:56but will be available for the rest of the tournament.

05:00Hi, Latham, this is Zubair from Express News.

05:03My question is that recently history shows that you guys reached the high-rise score,

05:11and do you think that tomorrow's conditions will give you the favour,

05:16and could you reach the high-rise score?

05:20Target.

05:21Did you say the high-rise score?

05:23Yeah.

05:25Yeah, look, we're on a different wicket than we played on in the previous game here,

05:30so I guess from our point of view it's about playing our brand of cricket as best we can

05:35and trying to adapt to each situation.

05:38I guess the high-rise score, as you just mentioned,

05:41isn't necessarily something that we're focusing on.

05:44It's about playing what's in front of us as best we can,

05:47and whatever position that puts us in,

05:49then hopefully it will put us in a position where we're able to come out on the right side.

05:54But I'm sure throughout this game we're going to be put under pressure at times,

05:58and hopefully we can land them back on those experiences that we've had throughout the tri-series

06:03and obviously try to absorb that pressure

06:05and then I guess be in a position to put pressure back on the opposition when the time's needed.

06:11Yeah, hi, Tom.

06:12Yeah, I'm from GW, I was from Germany.

06:16I'd like to have some questions about tomorrow's match.

06:19You will go after the two matches against Pakistan,

06:23and the third match against Pakistan, maybe you win over Pakistan,

06:28but how do you prepare for the pitch,

06:32because in the last match the pitch in the second session was slower,

06:36and tomorrow it can be also a slower pitch.

06:38So how can you handle the Pakistan spinners?

06:41Yeah, just as I said in the previous question,

06:44for us it's always been about adapting to conditions,

06:47adapting to surfaces as best we can.

06:50The surface that we played on here against Pakistan

06:53looked slightly different to the one that they played on when Pakistan played South Africa.

07:00So I guess we'll have a look and see what the wicket's like today,

07:03but again it's about assessing it as best we can and playing what's in front of us.

07:08We've been here a little bit now,

07:10we've played obviously three games and a warm-up game,

07:13so guys are reasonably familiar with conditions,

07:16and I think for us it's about just focusing on us as best we can

07:20and trying to play our brand as best we can,

07:22and hopefully that will give us a good chance at the back end of the game.

07:26Tom, you guys beat Pakistan in a tri-series twice,

07:29but if we see the recent results of the ICC tournament,

07:33Pakistan has a upper hand on you guys.

07:35Is there any psychological pressure in ICC events against Pakistan?

07:40I wouldn't say so.

07:42I think throughout, whether it be ICC events or bilateral series,

07:47we've come up against Pakistan.

07:49There's always been some great battles and some great games,

07:52and I'm sure it's going to be no different tomorrow.

07:55As I said, both teams have knowledge on each other

07:59and I guess how they're potentially going to approach the game.

08:02So I guess for us to be playing the opening tournament against Pakistan,

08:09you know, the host nation,

08:10I'm sure it's going to be a packed crowd here in Karachi

08:13and I'm sure they'll have plenty of support behind them.

08:16So we're really looking forward to the challenge

08:18and as I said, I'm sure it'll be another great game.

08:21Thanks, guys.

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