After a disappointing finish to the ICC World Twenty20 competition the BLACKCAPS are preparing to turn a new leaf in their build up to their up coming tour of Sri Lanka.
Blackcaps.co.nz spoke with BLACKCAPS manager Dave Currie about how the team is turning defeat into a lesson learnt.
The BLACKCAPS went to the West Indies in high spirits. The team had done well against Australia in the shortest format and had prepared well for the world competition. Unfortunately they were defeated on the slow pitches in the Windies and in turn didn’t secure a semi final spot. Currie acknowledges the team’s disappointing showing. “Our performance was unacceptable and it’s got to get better,” he said. “There are no excuses. There’s nowhere to hide.”
Currie said the team has looked at where they have failed and are working hard to turn things around. “What we didn’t do was perform under pressure,” he said. “Look at England, the best team in the tournament. Their performances in Twenty20 international cricket before the competition were not good. Ours were better, we were well prepared, but under pressure we didn’t perform and England did.”
To turn things around Currie is determined to focus on the “hard things” to help improve the team’s overall performance. “It’s easy to do the easy things, but we’ve got to get out of our comfort zone,” He said. “We’ve got a very clear goal – winning games for New Zealand.”
Personal accountability plays a big part in reaching that goal. Recently the players have had a review process looking at their roles within the team environment and Currie said players are focused on doing their best. “We need individuals being clear on their role and ensuring they do their bit and each person is making sure they can execute their bit of the plan.
“Players understand sport is a process. Competing is the easy part; we’ve got to have a constant process to get a consistent outcome. They realise they need to practice similar to playing conditions and under pressure.”
Public support also plays a huge roll in their success. Currie acknowledges that the fans stick with the team through good times and bad. “We seriously value your support and we can be a bit hard to support sometimes. Winning is important and we are striving to do that,” he said. “Support from the public is important. We don’t take it lightly. We recognise it and sometimes we don’t deserve it. We work hard to justify the support of the team. It’s amazing the level of support we have and we appreciate that.”
The biggest reward to the fans would be success at the ICC Cricket World Cup starting next February and the team has their eye firmly on the silverware in the 50 over format. “We’ve got Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India then Pakistan before the World Cup. We need to ensure that under pressure we perform. Currently we’re not doing that, but we are preparing now ready for the World Cup,” he finished
