Sophie Devine eyes adapting to spin-friendly conditions as NZ prepare for T20 World Cup

Mackay, Sep 21 (IANS) As the New Zealand women's cricket team prepares for its T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE, captain Sophie Devine has expressed confidence in her side’s ability to adapt to the spin-friendly conditions of the subcontinent.

Historically, the scorching heat and dry pitches in the region have favoured spinners, a sharp contrast from the cloudy, seam-friendly conditions of New Zealand. However, Devine believes her team has worked hard to adjust and is ready for the challenge. “We’ve been specific and clear with how we want to play and what we think is going to work in those conditions,” Devine told ICC. "We reflected on how we played previously and have had a real eye on what the conditions are like."

With a strong focus on spin bowling and effective strike rates, New Zealand are determined to ensure they can score effectively while limiting their opponents' opportunities. “There’s been a real focus on spin bowling, which I’m sure everyone is going to focus on, but for us, it’s about strike rate and scoring shot percentages,” Devine emphasised. “We want to be really busy at the crease. Every run is going to be valuable in these conditions.”

Devine also highlighted the importance of accuracy with the ball. The team is aiming to force the opposition into playing difficult shots by staying on the stumps and maintaining pressure.

New Zealand’s recent performances in England and Australia might not have been up to their expectations, but Devine stressed that the World Cup is an entirely new contest where any team can come out on top. "In one-off games and World Cup cricket, everyone starts on zero, so we are really looking forward to the opportunity to play against world-class teams."

Reflecting on her past World Cup experiences, Devine fondly recalled the 2016 Women's T20 World Cup in India, when New Zealand secured a memorable victory against arch-rivals Australia.

In that match, Australia was restricted to 103/8, thanks to a stellar bowling performance by Leigh Kasperek, and the White Ferns chased down the target comfortably. “That was certainly one of my favourite T20 World Cup moments, beating Australia in the subcontinent," she said. "We managed to get away with a pretty awesome win against a side that was flying high at the time.”

Looking ahead, Devine knows her side faces a tough group, which includes India, Australia, and Sri Lanka. However, she remains optimistic, believing the challenging competition will bring out the best in her team.

“When you’ve got India and Australia, as well as Sri Lanka, it’s going to be a pretty tough pool to progress through, but we love our chances,” she added.

New Zealand begins their T20 World Cup campaign against India on October 4 in Dubai, with a much-anticipated match-up against Australia scheduled for October 8 in Sharjah.

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