New Zealand coach admits it will be tough to get up for India T20Is
New Zealand coach Gary Stead has admitted that the scheduling of their tour to India has presented challenges in terms of preparation.
Stead’s New Zealand team will be in action just three days after losing the T20 World Cup final to Australia.
Virat Kohli will miss the series altogether with the former skipper making it clear that he is taking a break to recharge and spend time with his young family.
Kohli has called on boards not to sacrifice player well-being in a bid to make up for missed cricket.
Virat Kohli eager to lessen India workload
Many of the New Zealand squad have been in either a bubble or in quarantine for multiple months.
Black Caps mentor Stead was hopeful of a good performance from his team, who won five matches in succession to make the T20 World Cup final.
“It’s the first time that I can remember that we’re so quickly into another series immediately at the back-end of the T20 World Cup,” Stead said.
“It’s definitely tough and challenging but it is what is in front of us. We’ve got nine-ten guys in India already, who are preparing for those Test matches, and hopefully we can get up and have a really great performance against India.”
New Zealand await Ferguson return
Stead was also optimistic on fast bowler Lockie Ferguson’s potential return to action on the India tour.
“In terms of Lockie, I think he is pretty close,” Stead said.
“We will just make sure we get over there, travel okay and there’s no issues like seizing up on the flight or anything like that.
“But I’d expect that he’s going to be available for selection, which will be fantastic.
“With all the guys that are going to prepare for the Test matches, we just have to make that call over there – whether we think it’s in the best interests of them and also in the best interests of the team being that the Test matches are more of our priority, I think, in the next month than what the T20 matches will be.”
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is unlikely to feature in the opening match having seen a chronic elbow niggle resurface during the T20 World Cup.
