Cricket: Cup of surprises suits NZ

Jeff Crowe. Photo / APN

With 35 days to go, 11 straight Indian subcontinent one-day losses to their name and a fourth coaching set-up in just over two years, the prospect of the Black Caps winning a first World Cup seems more than usually remote.

But two former captains, who have World Cup experience on the subcontinent, have hope - even though New Zealand's track record there is not great.

In 1987, under relatively new skipper Jeff Crowe, they beat Zimbabwe twice and lost their other four matches to India and Australia. Only one could be termed a hiding, where India won by nine wickets.

Crowe inherited the captaincy from Jeremy Coney and had been in charge for only one test - before a bomb ended the tour of Sri Lanka - and two one-dayers in Sharjah. He had never toured India and Pakistan previously, unlike many of the current crop.

Crowe says they struggled, especially with Richard Hadlee absent, but says the key is building confidence by winning - something the Black Caps could do and get on "a roll".

He also says coach John Wright's knowledge of the environment will be important.

"There were a lot of 'nearly wins' but really we weren't contenders in that environment," said Crowe. "How you start is so important. Confidence is gained with the momentum from early victories."

One example of a close one was Jeff's brother Martin almost seeing New Zealand home against Australia with a better than run-a-ball 58.

He got out on the first ball of the final over with just seven needed. The Kiwis lost by three runs chasing 200.

Crowe, who will attend this year's tournament as a match referee, says one dramatic change is in security.

"One day I remember Martin felt like he wasn't getting enough time in the nets with the team - so he grabbed a tuk-tuk, and dropped in on a random Indian club practice. He batted for four hours against a host of local spinners. You couldn't get away with that today.

"New Zealand could also have an advantage with John Wright's inside knowledge. I spent a fair bit of time with him [as a match referee] when he was coaching India. He knows the country backwards."

LEE GERMON was another comparatively novice captain under coach Glenn Turner when New Zealand returned to the subcontinent for the 1996 World Cup. The Black Caps were ousted by Australia in the quarter-finals at Chennai.

Despite the six-wicket loss, Germon and Chris Harris' 168 runs together remains a New Zealand record partnership for the fourth wicket in one-dayers - and the country's best partnership at a World Cup.

"The idea was to stack our middle order with left-handers [Stephen Fleming (4), Harris (5) and Roger Twose (6)] to combat Shane Warne by blasting him with the spin through the legside in the middle overs," Germon says.

Warne went for an uncharacteristic 52 from his 10 but the Kiwis did not quite reach their 300 target. However, Germon says the performance was boosted by winning over the passionate crowd.

"Turns, who had a bit of experience up that way, said we should engage the crowd by warming up right on the boundary to earn their support. Australia warmed up in the 30m circle and got booed."

Germon says one area this current side will be aware of, given so many have experience in India, is the early starts to matches. Four of New Zealand's pool games start at 9.30am, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka the day/night exceptions.

"You might think that all subcontinent one-day wickets would be batsmen-friendly but, in my experience, that wasn't the case. When you start early, it can be useful to bowl first to make the most of the early swing and seam movement."

Also benefiting New Zealand's chances is the fact that the World Cup often goes to those less fancied - in the nine previous tournaments, the middle four from 1983-1996 all produced surprising champions.

India won in 1983 after taking only one solitary game in the previous two tournaments. Australia entered the 1987 event at a low ebb, with skipper Allan Border and coach Bob Simpson just starting to mould a decent side that would eventually beat England in the final.

Pakistan finished fourth in the round robin in 1992 but beat England in the final. Sri Lanka, international easybeats for so long, took out Australia in the 1996 final - they have never been underestimated since.

Also consider the unfamiliar conditions several winners have mastered - India in England (1983), Australia in India and Pakistan (1987), and Pakistan in Australia and New Zealand (1992).