Cricket World Cup 2011 team guide: New Zealand

Group A:
20 Feb v Kenya, Chennai
25 Feb v Australia, Nagpur
4 Mar v Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad
8 Mar v Pakistan, Kandy
13 Mar v Canada, Mumbai
18 Mar v Sri Lanka, Mumbai

World Cup History:
Semi-finalists in 1975, 1979, 1992, 1999 and 2007. Quarter-finalists in 1996. Super Six in 1996. First round in 1983 and 1987.

The captain:
Daniel Vettori The first cricketer of Italian descent to play for the Kiwis and one of the few sportsmen to wear prescription spectacles while playing. He is the eighth player in Test history to take 300 wickets and score 3,000 runs.

The Coach:
John Wright After his retirement in 1993, Wright worked in sales for around two years – self-confessedly without great success. He went on to coach India between 200-2005, taking them to the final in 2003.

Key Batsman:
Jesse Ryder Gifted, beefy 26-year-old left-hander from Wellington with a chequered, booze-fuelled past, but with Brendon McCullum, he gives the Black Caps the ability to punish any bowling attack. Likely to drop to No3 for the tournament as coach Wright tries to protect him slightly from the new ball.

Key Bowler:
Daniel Vettori Ying to Ryder’s Yang, an intelligent, widely admired cricketer who will lead New Zealand into his fourth World Cup as a potentially match-winning left arm spinner. Will undoubtedly be targeted by opposition batsmen because of his importance to the Black Caps’ attack.

Success Depends On:
The team finding some form, and quickly. New Zealand just endured an 11-match losing streak, every single one of them in India or Bangladesh. Add to that a series defeat at home to Pakistan, and they are in as sorry a state as the have been for a long time.

Prediction:
Quarter-finals They will have to watch out for Zimbabwe, but should still have enough batting talent to see them through the group stages.

The Squad:
Daniel Vettori (capt), Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum (wkt), Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock.

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