‘We’re still a handsome bunch without Matt Henry’ – Lockie Ferguson on New Zealand’s squad ahead of semifinal clash against India
Lockie Ferguson (Source: Twitter)
New Zealand’s pacer Lockie Ferguson talked about Matt Henry’s exit from the ODI World Cup 2023 due to an injury. Henry tore his right hamstring during the Clash against South Africa which subsequently ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. After a thrilling victory against Sri Lanka, New Zealand qualified for the semifinals of the ODI World Cup 2023 and finished the points table in fourth position.
Lockie Ferguson talked about New Zealand’s squad in the absence of Matt Henry and called the group to be a handsome bunch even without him. New Zealand will play the first semi-final match against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on 15th November.
During the practice session ahead of the semifinals, Lockie Ferguson spoke to the media and said, “We look good here. Matt Henry is a big hole in our side and we’re still a handsome bunch without Matt Henry. I will take that on the chin, but now, from a cricket point of view, Tim Southee brings a lot of experience.”
Lockie Ferguson on Matt Henry’s exit from the ODI World Cup 2023
“Being captain of the Test team, captain in the T20s and one-dayers too, that experience counts for a lot. He has also played a lot in India, which is great too, obviously pretty disheartened with how Matt Henry exited the World Cup, which was such a shame”, he said.
“A lot of Indian grounds have been high-scoring. That’s the nature of one-day cricket in this part of the world. It’s trying to understand what the pitch will be like and read what a good score on it is because those big overs, 10 runs here or there, can cost you at the back end of the innings,” added Lockie.
“At the same time, it’s not up to me and we have to play the game on the day. Whatever it might be – bat or bowl first – we’ve got plans for that. It’s important to stick to them. It’s nice to bowl under lights, nice to see when the ball does move around a bit and it brings us into the game. We’ll have to play it as we see it come game day, but I’m looking forward to it,” he concluded.
