World Cup win not beyond New Zealand: Richardson

WELLINGTON - Former New Zealand opener Mark Richardson believes that winning this year’s World Cup in India is not beyond the reach of the Black Caps.

In an article for the New Zealand Herald, Richardson said that if skipper Daniel Vettori achieved the title, he would be rated as one of the greats of the game, but right now, at the conclusion of his test reign, was uninspiring.

Admitting that he has been one of the ‘former players’ brigade calling out in frustration at Vettori’s defensive and conservative style of leadership, Richardson said Vettori has not had the tools that would have given him any sort of confidence to try something out of the ordinary.

“I’m sad he’s going to stick to his guns and resign from the captaincy following the World Cup because I would love to have seen him in the role with more at his disposal - which I think is just around the corner. However, I am thrilled to hear he will continue in the test game because he is, and will continue to be, the rock on which the test team is built,” Richardson said.

On New Zealand’s chances of winning the World Cup under Vettori, Richardson said: “He sure can. The World Cup will be won by boundary hitting and attacking slow bowling through the middle overs. In our team those are two boxes I can tick. Re-jigged batting orders or not, I believe there is enough hitting power in the New Zealand batting to score enough runs. The form over the past few months is nothing more than a collective form slump.”

“Vettori is one of the finest bowlers in ODI cricket and, what’s more, when there is a necessity to score off him, he becomes a genuine wicket taking threat. Defence, defence, defence must be his motto when organising those bowling around him - a mindset that should sit well with him. When batting, it should be attack, attack, attack. He has the tools so maybe we finally have the real acid test for Daniel Vettori’s captaincy,” he concludes. (ANI)