ICC World Cup 2023: Devon Conway could come in England’s way

NZ’s Devon Conway during the warm-up match against SA on Monday. Pic/Getty Images

Anyone who feels that the ODI format doesn't deserve a place in ICC's cricket calendar needs to watch the 2019 ODI World Cup final on loop. Arguably, the best game of cricket ever played, it had more twists and turns than an Abbas-Mastan film or a James Hadley Chase novel. It been four years since that edge of the seat thriller played out at Lord's and it's only fitting that this edition of the World Cup starts with a New Zealand v England encounter.

Ian Smith's description of England winning the 2019 ODI World Cup "by the barest of margins, the barest of all margins" has become iconic in the cricketing world. Two good teams, a World Cup opening encounter, the biggest stadium in the world and hopefully in front of a full house is the perfect recipe for an absolute nail-biter.

So, what's changed since that 2019 final as far as the Black Caps are concerned? For starters, a few of the personnel. New Zealand's batting looks a lot stronger with Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips in the top six. Conway's IPL exploits set him up nicely to have a terrific World Cup with the bat whereas Phillips at six is a mouthwatering prospect.

Also Read: ICC World Cup 2023: Can NZ repeat class?

NZ's high-class bowling

The bowling line-up is very similar to four years back. The lack of a genuine world-class all-rounder and a high-quality spinner is probably their only weakness. The good news is that Kane Williamson is back from injury (although he's not a certain starter for the opening encounter) and Trent Boult is back to doing what he does best ie picking wickets with the new ball and at the death. The Black Caps have always been a phenomenal fielding side and they always outthink the opposition with their strategy and planning.

I was surprised at the exclusion of Finn Allen from the final 15 and the inclusion of Will Young. They are two very different players. It's like buying a ticket to an Arijit Singh concert and Yo Yo Honey Singh turns up on stage. The problem with Allen though is that the aggressive flavours of his spicy biryani have not yet found a good cooling raita to go with it. The flying starts he provides are great, but ODI cricket still demands consistency and better shot selection.

Big task for Kiwis

It remains to be seen if the Black Caps are once again content on being the "best man" or they have it in them to go down on one knee to finally be the groom. Of course, that's if they perform well enough to arrange a wedding. November 19 is a long way from here.

Wellington-based Rahul Patil, an Indian-born cricket writer, will follow NZ's fortunes at this World Cup