BENGALURU: Kiwis skipper Kane Williamson has expressed concern over rain threatening their semi-final qualification, saying there are many things they cannot control and the weather is one of them.
A forecast of rain added an unknown element to New Zealand’s final World Cup group stage match against Sri Lanka in Chennai on Thursday.
New Zealand occupy the last available semi-final slot, but only because they have a better net pace than Pakistan and Afghanistan, with all three teams tied on eight points after eight matches.
“We still have to see a lot of how the field is. There was a lot of weather around and it could look different tomorrow,” Williamson said.
“There are a lot of things we can’t control and the weather is one of them. It might be a thought in the back of your mind, but at the end of the day, our focus will be on the cricket we want to play.”
New Zealand, finalists in 2019, won their first four matches in India before losing the next four.
“There were also some very close games and ones that we lost,” Williamson said.
“I think if you look at cricket as a whole, there has been a lot of good cricket.
“The beauty of this type of set-up is that you play with everyone, everyone challenges you in different ways, so the focus is much more on your own cricket and how you try to handle it.”
New Zealand similarly struggled to get past the semi-finals in 2019, but managed to turn things around and reach the final.
“I guess the guys have had some of those experiences, but it’s another game another day and four years later,” Williamson said.
“So the focus is on the here and now and the conditions and how we want to adapt.”
Williamson added that the return of paceman Lockie Ferguson after missing two games through injury would depend on pitch conditions.
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