"They've been outstanding": New Zealand's Kane Williamson praises bowlers ahead of semi-final clash with Pakistan

Sydney [Australia], November 8 : New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Tuesday heaped praise on his bowlers for their "outstanding" performance as the team prepares for their semi-final clash of the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney on Wednesday.
The all-round New Zealand team produced a superb performance in the Super 12 stage and finished at the top of Group 1. While the New Zealand batters had produced some stellar performances, Williamson thinks that the consistency of his bowlers in the Super 12 stage also played a key role in their journey to the semi-finals.
"I mean, they're experienced players for us. They've played for us a long time, whether that's taking wickets or, in particular, adjusting to conditions...certainly we need them to come to tournaments, world events, that's a big part of playing," Williamson said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
"So they've been outstanding throughout this tournament. And tomorrow we're at another venue against another opposition, and we'll have to make those adjustments again," he added.
In the competition, three of New Zealand's bowlers have kept an economy rate under seven. Outstanding performers include Tim Southee (6.35), Mitchell Santner (6.43), and Ish Sodhi (6.78). Only Trent Boult (7.18) and Lockie Ferguson (8.13) have been slightly more expensive, but they have also delivered for the Kiwis as they bagged some crucial wickets.
The New Zealand skipper also went on to talk about the venue and conditions. The Kiwis have played twice in Sydney in during the World Cup but Williamson doesn't think it's going to be an edge for them going into the match against Pakistan on Wednesday.
"I suppose it's kind of interesting, the first game we played here, the wicket was a very good one. And then the second time we played here it had changed. And sometimes you can take perhaps what you were expecting the wicket to be like in the first game and think it would behave in the same way, which it didn't," said the New Zealand skipper.
"Whether that's a disadvantage or an advantage, it's sort of hard to know. Both teams have played here. So we need to focus on our cricket really and the plans we want to look to execute and make sure we do adjust to the conditions and try and play smart," he added.
New Zealand have been one of the most consistent team when it comes to ICC events. They were the runner-ups in the 2019 ODI World Cup and also in the T20 World Cup last year.
When questioned about the secret behind their consistency in ICC tournaments, the New Zealand skipper said "it's just focusing on our cricket".
"You come to these tournaments, and as we've seen, all teams can beat each other and it's definitely a pretty exciting event. I guess you're going through it trying to adjust to conditions as quickly as possible, make those changes to the different opposition and really go out and try and express yourselves. It's been nice that we've been able to see that throughout this competition. And certainly, want to be doing that again tomorrow," he stated.