New Zealand captain Kane Williamson says England will be strong opponents in Wednesday’s T20 World Cup semi-final despite injuries to key players.
Both teams won four of their five Super 12 games and will fight for a final spot in a game that brings back memories of their dramatic 2019 50-over World Cup final, won by England.
The Kiwis have since clinched the inaugural World Test Championship and performed consistently well across all formats.
Eoin Morgan’s England have been the team to beat in the T20 World Cup but injuries to fast bowler Tymal Mills and Jason Roy could unsettle their combination.
“It’s a real shame that they have suffered injuries in this competition,” said Williamson. “But one of the strengths of the England side is their depth that they’ve managed to develop over a period of time.
“Having spent some time at the Birmingham Phoenix and been a bit involved in that 100-ball competition, you can tell that there’s a huge amount of talent throughout.
“They’re still very much a very strong side who have been playing some really good cricket.”
“They’ve got match-winners throughout their team. And that’s been a big movement of their white-ball side – power-packed and they bat deep.”
New Zealand’s strength has been their pace duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who have rattled the opposition with their early strikes in the group stage.
Boult and Southee share 18 wickets between them and lead a disciplined New Zealand bowling attack that has complemented their batting.
“They’ve been brilliant. They’ve been involved in the team in all formats for a long time and are really experienced operators for us,” Williamson said of the pace pair.
“They’ve been doing a fantastic job for us, really leading our attack who have been performing well and adjusting well to the different surfaces that we’ve been on. And a real strength of our side.”
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Williamson smiles when reminded of the fateful World Cup final in July 2019 when New Zealand took the match to a super over but lost on boundary count.
“It was an amazing game to be a part of,” he said. “Although, at the time it was very difficult to understand and perhaps didn’t make a lot of sense, but that is what it is. And you sign up for it.
“You play by the rules and you move on and you look forward to the next challenges. And now we’re at a T20 World Cup, and the cricket just continues to roll on.”
Williamson, who has scored 126 runs with a highest of 40* in the team’s previous win over Afghanistan, said his troubled elbow is still not 100%.
“That has been a bit of a challenge for me. And the balance between the loading of the elbow and trying to stay as fresh as possible for the game,” he said.
“So, it’s a bit of a delicate balance to get my head around. I certainly look forward to the day that it’s gone and I don’t have to worry too much about it.”
© Agence France-Presse
