2021 T20 World Cup: Savour The Excellence
One international men's cricket team has made the final of the last three major tournaments in cricket. That one team lost the T20 World Cup Final to Australia and finishes this wee cycle with a Word Test Championship win, as well as cracking the ODI World Cup final. Three different formats, three finals and Aotearoa's Blackcaps now enter a new phase of trying to sustain their excellence.
Losing to Australia sucks, even when it involves Kane Williamson in his baggy with a glorious knock. Finding gratitude is just as glorious as watching Williamson bat and when you zoom out from this T20 World Cup, you'll find a Blackcaps team that has an emphatic case for the best cricket team in the world. Obviously I packed my kiwi bias with me for this journey, yet there is a clear trend of consistency across different formats that the 'big three' nations don't have.
Aotearoa defeated India in the WTC Final. India didn't get out of pool play in this T20 World Cup and lost their semi-final to Aotearoa at the 2019 ODI World Cup.
England defeated Aotearoa in the ODIWC Final. England finished 4th in WTC (and got touched up by Blackcaps in England), before losing to Aotearoa in the T20WC semi-final.
Australia defeated Aotearoa in this T20WC Final. Australia didn't make a WTC or ODIWC Final.
The only constant thread throughout these tournaments are the Blackcaps. You probably only hear about Lydia Ko in the Aotearoa news when she wins a tournament, or messes up so badly that the Aotearoa media lap it up. When Ko isn't winning tournaments this year, she is stacking up top-10 and top-five finishes; would you rather a sporadic win or consistently good finishes?
That's the Blackcaps vibe here. Take England's cricket success during this cycle as most of it revolves around white-ball cricket. We've all heard about how England revamped their limited overs set up and the relative success this produced, meanwhile Aotearoa is good at everything. There is no split between formats and it's hard to compare Joe Root to Kane Williamson for example, when Williamson is among the best batsmen in every format.
Without the playing base of India, Australia or England, Aotearoa still has the depth of talent to bolster different squads. Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry were two of Aotearoa's best bowlers at the 2019 World Cup. Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson were monsters throughout WTC. None of those four lads played a game at this T20WC.
Ross Taylor was second behind Williamson for ODIWC runs. Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Taylor and BJ Watling were leading run-scorers in WTC (behind Williamson). None of those lads played a game at this T20WC.
Next up is a T20I series in India, this week. I won't care about that and you probably don't need to care either. After that though is the first taste of the new cycle with two Tests in India for the World Test Championship, thus bringing an end to the previous cycle. The next cycle will see some of these lads finish their legendary careers. Right now I'm fascinated to enter this new cycle and see how the Blackcaps move on from the only time I can remember when Aotearoa had a legit case as the best cricket nation in the world.
No other cricketing nation as done what Aotearoa's Blackcaps have done. Spark one up, have a cold one, tell ya kids about it. Before we enter the next journey, slow down and enjoy the facts of what Aotearoa's Blackcaps have done under captain Kane Williamson.
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Peace and love.