Variety the spice of life for Black Caps

The T20 World Cup starts this weekend and while New Zealand isn’t in action for a while yet, they’ll be keeping a close eye on conditions.

The Black Caps are not be in action for the best part of another two weeks, but they’ll be watching closely when the Twenty20 World Cup starts tomorrow night.

With the International Cricket Council using the game’s shortest format as a chance to grow it, there is an eight-team first round to find the four teams that will join the heavyweights in the Super 12 phase, which begins on October 23.

Two of Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka will make it, as will two of Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea and Scotland. The second-placed team from the first group (group A) will join the Black Caps, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan in the Super 12, as will the top team from the second group (group B).

There’s scouting to be done then for Gary Stead and his coaching staff who have been joined by Shane Bond for this tournament, but not only of the teams, as everyone is expecting the different venues to be a factor as the tournament plays out.

The entirety of group B is being played at Al Amerat Cricket Stadium in Muscat, Oman, which won’t feature thereafter, so the Black Caps don’t have to worry about conditions there.

But they will play at Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, home to matches in group A, as well as at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which won’t be used until the Super 12 phase.

Black Caps all-rounder Glenn Phillips has a sense of the conditions in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, after playing there in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals, but he’s also been keeping an eye on proceedings in Dubai ahead of the start of the tournament he offered his assessment of the three venues.

‘‘Sharjah is definitely going to be lower and slower than it has been in the past,’’ Phillips said.

‘‘It’s just going to come down to who plays smarter or who takes the game on more with a bit more bravery. I think the side that we have has the capability to do that. It doesn’t really matter who you play, if you’ve got that sort of mentality, then on pitches like that, you can definitely come out on top.

‘‘Abu Dhabi and Dubai have definitely been the nicer two tracks.

‘‘Dubai has been a little bit slow, but there’s still definitely plenty of runs to be had out there and there’s enough in it for the bowlers if they bowl well.’’

Phillips’ assessment is backed up by the first-innings totals that have been posted at the UAE venues in the IPL, up until the final.

In Sharjah, six of the nine teams batting first posted totals under 140, while in Abu Dhabi, six of the eight teams batting first posted totals higher than 140, and five of them posted totals higher than 150. In Dubai, seven of the 11 teams batting first posted totals higher than 140 and all but one posted a total higher than 130.

The Black Caps’ World Cup opener against Pakistan will be played in Sharjah, and they will then play India and the top team from group B in Abu Dhabi.

They will face the second-placed team from group A in Sharjah before rounding out the Super 12 phase in Dubai against Afghanistan.

Having played twice at Sharjah, Phillips said ‘‘taking a more positive approach’’ would be key on a pitch that is likely to be ‘‘keeping a little bit low’’ and will ‘‘probably favour’’ Pakistan.

‘‘If we can work out a way to combat that, I think that’ll put us in good stead and having a lot of the other guys in the IPL training in these conditions as well, we’ll all have a bit of knowledge to put into the pot and hopefully come out with the win.’’

Beating either Pakistan or India (or both of them) in their first two matches is likely to be a must if the Black Caps are to make it to the semifinals at the World Cup, something they’ve only managed twice in six attempts – at the last event in India in 2016, where their spin trio of Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi helped them master tricky conditions, and at the inaugural event held in South Africa in 2007.

Black Caps captain Kane Williamson has also been playing in the IPL, as have seven others in the World Cup squad and travelling reserve Adam Milne. Four players – Lockie Ferguson, Tim Seifert and Tim Southee at Kolkata Knight Riders and Santner at Chennai Super Kings – were only due to link up with the team after the final this morning [NZ time].

That match was also a showdown between Kiwi coaches Brendon McCullum (Kolkata) and Stephen Fleming (Chennai).

Williamson played in the IPL last year when it was held in the UAE at this time of year, after Covid-19 made holding it in India and in its usual April-May window impossible, and he said conditions had been different this time around.

‘‘It’s something to be aware of and definitely something to prepare for, and you have to try and make those adjustments as quickly as possible and get comfortable with what realistic expectations are and what competitive totals are.’’