New Zealand open their T20 World Cup campaign today in Chennai against Afghanistan in a tough Group D, also including South Africa, UAE, and Canada. Even though the Black Caps are yet to lift a World Cup in any format, arrive in the tournament on the back of a 4-1 T20I series defeat against hosts India, and with woes of exiting before the Super 8 stage in the tournament’s last edition in 2024, writing off New Zealand has never been wise. The squad boasts a mix of established stars and versatile all-rounders, one of whom is experienced all-rounder James Neesham. The 35-year-old, during his recent stint with the Rajshahi Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League, spoke to The Daily Star’s Samsul Arefin Khan about New Zealand’s chances in the tournament, the team’s past World Cup heartbreaks, and the belief that still drives the side forward. The excerpts are as follows:
The Daily Star (DS): How do you see your side doing in the tournament?
James Neesham (JN): We have a strong team. Obviously, anything can happen in a world tournament. We will be looking at that first game against Afghanistan. We will try to take each game as it comes. Hopefully, we can make it to that next stage.
DS: Do you think seasoned spinners like Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi will help you do well in the tournament being held in the subcontinent?
JN: I think every team has good spinners; Afghanistan obviously have good spinners, and South Africa have a couple of spin options as well. Spin will likely be the theme of the tournament, especially for games in Chennai. Hopefully, we can perform well with spin and, more importantly, play spin well to get a few wins.
DS: How do you see your team's growth since the last T20 World Cup?
JN: Obviously, we were a little bit underdone going into the 2024 tournament. But this can happen. We had a five-game series against India, which I thought was very good for us to get ready.
DS: How do you see the chances of winning your first World Cup this time?
JN: Our chances are as good as anyone's. It is hard to win world tournaments, and there are probably seven or eight teams that have a legitimate chance to win the trophy. It will come down to individual moments; hopefully, we can get on the right side of those moments, go through to the knockouts, and then anything can happen.
DS: Does the 2019 ODI World Cup final defeat to England still hurt?
JN: It was obviously tough at the time, but it was seven years ago now. I am pretty much over it and just looking forward to the tournament coming up; hopefully, we can go one step better in this T20 World Cup.
