Ahead of the clash vs Pakistan in T20 World Cup, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has said that the Babar Azam-led side are high on confidence.
Pakistan beat India in their T20 World Cup 2021 opener by 10 wickets. This was also Pakistan’s first-ever win over India in any World Cup.
New Zealand kick-start their campaign in the tournament against Pakistan in a Group 2 match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
“It was a fantastic performance. I think Pakistan have come to the T20 World Cup full of confidence, having played in these conditions more than most. They certainly put it on show last night and showed why they’re one of the favourites in the competition,” said Williamson in the pre-match press conference on Monday.
“Tomorrow I’m sure they’ll be very strong again, so for us, it’s focusing on the cricket that we want to play and trying to adjust to conditions. I think we’ll see throughout this tournament at the three different venues that each venue will probably playing a little bit differently, so that will be an important factor for us,” added Williamson.
Last month New Zealand cancelled their white-ball tour of Pakistan and this will be the first match between the two teams following that 11th hour call from Black Caps.
“It was a really disappointing situation. I know the team that were there were very much looking forward to the occasion and playing cricket over in Pakistan, and it was a real shame that it wasn’t able to go ahead. But there are also a lot of good relations within the two teams. Over the years they’ve played a lot against each other, and a number of players have played with each other, as well. I’m sure it’ll be played in the right spirit, but no doubt Pakistan will be well supported, as they always are here in the UAE.”
