NEW Zealand’s Daniel Vettori yesterday backed his side to win the World Twenty20 Championship, sustaining the same optimism permeating most captains ahead of the start of the tournament on Friday. “We are confident of winning the competition. I know in this version of the game any team can have a good day, but all our players have shown great enthusiasm in the preparation camp, and that is why our confidence is sky high,” the bespectacled Vettori told reporters.
New Zealand will do battle with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in Group B of the April 30 to May 16 tournament, for a place in the second round to be staged jointly by Barbados and St Lucia.
The Black Caps open the tournament and their campaign against the Sri Lankans on Friday morning, while hosts West Indies take on Ireland in a day/night encounter immediately after.
Vettori said he believed his side possessed the balance and variety to win the tournament, noting there were several match-winners in the Black Caps line-up.
“In Caribbean the pitches tend to play a little bit slow and low, but we have a balanced and experienced bowling attack,” the left-arm orthodox spinner noted.
“Shane Bond, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills and Ian Butler are the men who can be inspiring from ball one, particularly in this version of the game, while the spinners can also be superior.”
Since the inauguration of the ICC WT20 competition in 2007, New Zealand have made a big impact in the game’s shortest version, and Vettori said they would be looking to ride on their experience and reputation.
“Yes, we are a good team in T20 cricket over the years, and I think all my players are well aware of that, and once we play to our true potential, victory will be nothing hard,” the 31-year-old said.
“We have a relatively tough round, but we are here to represent our country and make them proud, too.”
New Zealand were knocked out of the inaugural tournament in 2007 in South Africa at the semi-final stage and reached second round last year in England before losing two of their three games to miss out on a semi-final spot.