T20 World Cup 2024: SWOT analysis of New Zealand squad

New Zealand were the first of the 20 teams to announce their squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in the USA/West Indies in June. Led by Kane Williamson, the Black Caps will be seeking their first title in the game’s shortest international format. 

Despite entering every edition as favorites, it is quite surprising that New Zealand have only played the final of the premier 20-over tournament once. They reached their maiden T20 WC Final in 2021 by defeating England but lost to Australia in the all-important match. 

They have a formidable 15-member squad this time with the presence of both experienced campaigners and youngsters. They recently played a five-match T20I series in Pakistan which ended in a draw as a final preparation for the marquee event. 

New Zealand Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Kane Williamson (C), Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee. 

Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears

Let’s take a look at the SWOT analysis of the New Zealand squad ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup

Strengths: 

Presence of experienced campaigners 

The New Zealand team will be led by Kane Williamson, who is going to make his sixth appearance in the T20 World Cup. Notably, under his leadership, the Kiwis won the maiden World Test Championship (WTC) title in 2021. Elite pacer Tim Southee is set for his seventh appearance at the tournament while his partner in crime Trent Boult will make his fifth. They also have the presence of Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi who have played over 100 T20 matches.

Good bowling attack 

Another major strength of New Zealand is their bowling attack. Tim Southee will lead the pace department that consists of Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson. Southee has the knack of picking up crucial wickets while Boult is known for troubling the opposition in the powerplay. 

Coming to the spin unit, veteran players Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi will be the key. Santner is known for his economical spell and the slow wickets in the Caribbean might suit him well. They also have Glenn Phillips in the line-up who can chip in with crucial overs.  

Weaknesses:

Lack of individual match-winners

While unity is an important factor in a tournament like the World Cup, the team must also have an individual match winner, especially in the 20-over format. All the Kiwi players perform as a unit, but they don’t have someone who can single-handedly change the course of the game when the team breaks down. 

Opportunities: 

A chance to break the jinx

As mentioned in the introduction, New Zealand enter every multi-national tournament as favorites but always fail to make it past the knockout stage. This will probably be the last appearance for veterans like Kane Williamson and Tim Southee in the T20 World Cup and a great opportunity for Kiwis to win their third major title.   

Threats: 

No multiple wicketkeeping option

New Zealand have omitted Tim Seifert from their World Cup squad, meaning Devon Conway is the only proper wicket-keeping option available to them. Notably, Conway will enter the tournament after recovering from a finger injury that ruled him out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Glenn Phillips is the second keeper-batter in their side, but the right-hander is not a regular presence behind the stumps.