New Zealand media took a swipe at their cricket team on Friday after they had lost three consecutive matches to Bangladesh in the ongoing five-match one-day series.
With the World Cup cricket just five months away, the media urged their fans not to expect anything from the Black Caps, who, according to them, hit their lowest point in the Bangladesh series.
‘It is pretty disappointing for cricket followers who are keen to see New Zealand step up,’ former New Zealand cricketer John Morrison was quoted by New Zealand Herald as saying.
New Zealand media put the result in the same bracket with their defeat against South Africa (5-0 in 2000/01), Pakistan (5-0 in 2003/04) and Australia (5-0 2004/05).
Statistically, the three series were their worst ever but the media said they were matched with the current slump of the Black Caps given the strength and ranking of opponents Bangladesh.
‘It’s shaping up as one of the worst ever because Bangladesh is so lowly rated,’ said New Zealand Herald in its report.
Almost all the established batsmen in the international cricket, the likes of Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder have not performed well in this series and that is, the media said, a big concern for them.
‘The response from the Black Caps was all too familiar, leaving even the players themselves shaking their heads as the top order hit the self destruct button,’ said a web portal called 3news in its report.
The skipper Daniel Vettori’s record as a captain is not as glories as it could be as well as his performance in this series — 68 one day internationals, won 36 of them and lost 25.
‘I don’t think it’s the coming of age of Bangladesh really, it’s pretty disappointing how our side is playing. Sure Bangladesh slow the pitches down but that happens in most countries, that’s the reality,’ former cricketer Morrison told Herald.
Sportal, another web portal, commented in its report: ‘For too long they [Kiwi’s] have under-performed and they have lacked the mental hardness
which lets opposing sides know that when they are up against New Zealand they are in for a run for their money, if you’ll pardon the metaphor.’
‘After the 3-0 loss in Bangladesh, with one more to be played, the World Cup on the sub-continent in March next year suddenly looks a long, long way away,’ said Sportal.
