Bond says big-hitting batsman hold key to Kiwis’ chances at 2011 World Cup

AUCKLAND - New Zealand’s batsmen must score big and deliver the knockout blows for the Black Caps to have a successful World Cup campaign in the Indian subcontinent next year, former fast bowler Shane Bond has said.

“We have a pretty disciplined bowling attack, but we don’t have that out and out pace to knock sides over. You have Dan (Vettori) and Kyle (Mills), who can be counted on for 20 pretty tidy overs, and the other guys are pretty steady,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Bond, as saying.

“The key is that we must make big scores and put pressure on the opposition or be capable of chasing big ones down,” he added.

The 35-year-old also said that he would prefer to see Brendon McCullum bat lower in the order and return to the role of a ‘game finisher’ as he played earlier in his career.

“We have guys at the top of the order who can score heavily and quickly and if that is the case then it might make more sense to slide Baz down the order,” Bond said. (ANI)