Picked for his third straight World Cup yesterday, New Zealand opener Martin Guptill says last edition's runners-up are oozing with confidence and raring to go
New Zealand's Martin Guptill celebrates his 100 during the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh at Christchurch in February. Pic/Getty Images
Martin Guptill may be warming the bench for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League so far, but the New Zealand opener is making sure he remains in rhythm for the World Cup which follows the cash-rich T20 tournament.
Guptill was named in New Zealand's World Cup squad (under skipper Kane Williamson) which was announced yesterday. An excited Guptill spoke to mid-day a few hours later. "This will be my third one [World Cup] and each time you get selected, it's an absolute honour and privilege to represent your country. So, I am really excited and looking forward to get started. We have a strong squad and if you look at the list, we have ample match-winners. There is a lot of experience as well and there are some guys, who haven't played a lot of international cricket, but they are exciting players as well. We are really excited to get there as a team and hopefully do well in the tournament," said Guptill.
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New Zealand have entered most World Cups as the perennial dark horses given they don't generally boast of a start-studded line-up as compared to teams like India, Australia or England. However, this time round, the Kiwis are looking to be serious contenders having finished runners-up in the 2015 edition.
Also Read: World Cup flashback: Did you know Syed Abid Ali hit India's first six in World Cups?
'We are not favourites'
Guptill however, preferred to play down the favourites tag. "We have to play good cricket to win the World Cup. With the different conditions we might face there, we might win. We just have to prepare well as a team. I don't want to put a favourite tag on ourselves. Winning the World Cup is the ultimate goal, but it's still a long way to go," he said.
Coming back to the IPL, Guptill said he's sweating it out before he gets his opportunity. "I'm not playing any games here [in the IPL]. So, I'm training hard in the nets. I'm also using this [phase] as a preparation period for the World Cup. So, it's a bit of a two-in-one for me."
No workload management
Workload management is a huge issue for the Indians but the Kiwis have no such fears, said Guptill. "Fatigue does happen in cricket and there is so much happening these days, but guys know how to manage their workload themselves. I don't think anyone [among the NZ players] has being told that they need to have a couple of games off or anything like that. We [New Zealanders] are available for the whole tournament. Once we get back to New Zealand, we'll be raring to go.
"Meanwhile, I'm making sure that every net session I do, my rhythm and balance looks good. When I do get an opportunity to play, I should be ready for it," he concluded.
Also Read: Martin Guptill's wife Laura hates being called a WAG, wants to throw up and pass out
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