Australia's decision not to travel to South Africa for their Test series means New Zealand are confirmed participants in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final at the Lord’s where they will face either India or England. However, Australia is still in the race for the spot.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship final is “very, very exciting and special feeling” and the Kiwis will make sure to not let their past agonies at England's iconic Lord's cricket ground hamper their quest to win the trophy later this year.
The Black Caps famously lost the 2019 World Cup final at Lord's to England after both the original match and the super over resulted in a tie and the hosts declared winners based on the past boundary count rule – the heartbreaking loss cricket fans will never forget, especially Kiwis, but Stead insisted his team had moved on from it.
However, the coach said the result wouldn’t be the same as World Cup 2019 if the World Test Championship final was tied as New Zealand is eyeing to become the first Test team to be crowned world champions under the new International Cricket Council format.
Stead said on Wednesday: “It's very, very exciting ... It's a very special feeling. What happened back in 2019, its been and gone. We can't change it. We don't do anything about it.”
He further added, “It's about us just keep moving on to what's in front of us now. Our guys are professional and skillful enough that they'll be able to do that. There's definitely no Super Over. If the match is a draw or a tie there are joint winners.”
With India, Australia, and England all have possibilities to qualify for the final under the ICC's complex qualification criteria, Stead refused to name a preferred opponent by saying: “I just think it's magnificent we get the opportunity to play one of them.”
The Kiwi coach also said winning the World Test championship would be a fitting testament to their improvement and one of their best achievements.
Stead signed off by saying, “They've seen some dark days but turned that around. (It) would rank up there with some of the best achievements of their career.”
(With AFP Inputs)
