The Black Caps are on a roll with two convincing wins in cricket’s Champions Trophy, and according to former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull, their good form can be attributed to even better preparation.
Doull joined Martin Devlin on The DSPN following the Black Caps win, which secured their place in the semifinals. He emphasised how the team’s meticulous buildup to the tournament has set them up for success.
“The preparation has been brilliant,” he said. “You [Martin] and I both talked about the lack of preparation for the T20 World Cup down in the Caribbean. This time, the preparation has been absolutely spot on.
“Coming to Pakistan, playing some matches in the conditions they were going to get used to, getting some good performances under the belt—bowling, batting, fielding—the preparation has been brilliant.”
Warm up matches is a delicate subject for the Black Caps and their fans. Ahead of last year’s Twenty20 World Cup, the New Zealand men infamously elected not to play pre-tournament games in the Caribbean, and unsurprisingly were found out in the group stage, with two heavy first-up losses knocking them out of contention early.
Life is a bit brighter in 2025. Following three victories ahead of the one-day Champions Trophy in sub-continent conditions, the Black Caps have bagged wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh by handy margins, totaling 320 and 240 with the bat, and managing to both defend a total and chase one down.
"If they don’t win it [the Champions Trophy], it won’t be because of preparation. It’ll just be because they’ve had a bad game or been beaten by a better team. That, I can deal with. Sports fans, we can deal with that.”
Rachin Ravindra returned to the batting lineup with an impressive 122 off 105 balls, and shared in a 129-run partnership with Tom Latham. Doull was in awe of Ravindra’s output, given he suffered a nasty blow to the head in an ODI just two and a half weeks ago.
“You’ve got one guy [Devon Conway] who’s always ripping his hand off the bat and looks like he’s in trouble all the time. And then you’ve got another guy [Ravindra], at the other end, who just looks composed and calm,” Doull observed.
“That’s exactly what Rachin shows time and time again, and they’ll be so pleased to have him back.”
New Zealand will likely play Australia or South Africa in the semifinals, who themselves have enjoyed convincing victories to start the tournament.
Before that though they have a final group game against India, which could prove vital, even though it is a dead rubber.
“They get a run on the surface that the final is going to be played on,” Doull said.
“It’s actually not a bad game to play, whether they win or lose. You’d like to keep that winning streak going, but they know they’re going to play in Lahore [in the semifinals] anyway.”
With momentum on their side and confidence in their preparation, the Black Caps are in prime position to make a serious run at the Champions Trophy. Now, it is just a matter of executing when it matters most.
