Black Caps need to treat WC match against Zimbabwe with caution: Doull
By ANISunday, February 27, 2011
WELLINGTON - New Zealand would need to approach their next World Cup match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad with caution, following their loss to Australia in Nagpur, says former Black Cap player Simon Doull.
According to Doull, the nature of the World Cup tournament means the Black Caps have sufficient time to atone for their showing in Nagpur and the reality is they are almost certain to make the quarterfinals as long as they dispatch the minnow sides.ut if they are to perform once they get to that point in the tournament they need to turn things around - and fast, he adds.
He says that Zimbabwe’s spin attack was impressive against Australia in their tournament opener and that he expects them to trouble New Zealand too.
“It’s very hard to wade through the Black Caps’ poor performance against Australia and put things into perspective after the horrible week people back in New Zealand have had,” stuff.co.nz web site quotes Doull, as writing.
“But even so, there is a Cricket World Cup on in the subcontinent and the New Zealanders are one of 14 teams vying for glory,” he adds.
He says that while the players have repeatedly said they wanted to “front up” and put performances on the board that would silence the team’s many critics, at some point the talk has to stop and action must take its place.
“You can say the right things until you’re blue in the face but the reality is that talk is cheap. Performing on the park is what matters,” Doull says.
“These guys are professional athletes. They have a job to do. The performance against Australia was, for want of a better word, poor.”
He says that the Black Caps should win against Zimbabwe, and should leave no stone unturned in planning for this match.
“If Zimbabwe were to win it would be a massive disappointment with wide-ranging consequences for New Zealand’s quarterfinal hopes. But, and I hate to admit it, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he concludes. (ANI)
