New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has said his side may not be” the sort of guys who wander around like peacocks” but “are in with a chance” of winning the Champions Trophy.
The Black Caps, who play Sri Lanka in their tournament opener at Cardiff on Sunday, go into the competition featuring the world’s top eight 50-over sides on the back of a 2-1 one-day international (ODI) series win over hosts England.
“I think the ability to play three ODIs against a hugely competitive side, full houses, some real intensity, is great preparation for us,” Hesson said Thursday.
“We are confident. We are not the sort of guys who wander around like peacocks and get too excited but we are playing good cricket and we are in with a chance.”
New Zealand, however, have lost their last six completed ODIs against Sri Lanka and with just he top two teams from each of the two groups of four going through to the semi-finals, Hesson knows his side can ill-afford a slip-up on Sunday.
“It’s as close to a knockout competition as you can get. We are certainly not thinking two weeks ahead. We are thinking about Sri Lanka in Cardiff. If we do that well, then we give ourselves another opportunity against [Group A rivals] Australia at Edgbaston and then a chance to have another crack at England.
Hesson added: “They’ve made four of the last [six] ICC finals, so they are a pretty good side to start with. They’ve got aggressive batsmen at the top of the order, experience in the middle with [Kumar] Sangakkara and [Mahela] Jayawardene, so they are a good unit.