New Zealand’s quick Tim Southee isn’t too wary of excessive workload during a busy and cramped summer in the UK where the Kiwis play a two-Test series against England ahead of the World Test Championship final versus India.
The series against England begins on June 2 with a Lord’s Test before the action moves to Edgbaston for the second fixture from June 10. Only eight days later, New Zealand face India in the ultimate clash for the World Test Championship title at Rose Bowl, Southampton, from June 18.
With three important Tests scheduled inside 20 days, the challenge for the Kiwis will be to ensure all their players are free of the dangers of physical and mental burnout, especially since they’ll also be having to counter an extended period amid the biosecurity regulations.
Southee, however, said the tourists aren’t too worried about it as they do not often get to play three back to back Tests and definitely not with a trophy as prestigious as the one for WTC up for grabs. On the personal front as well, Southee reiterated there isn’t much fear about having to push through a cramped schedule.
“It’s exciting to play three Test matches in a short space of time. It is something that the team doesn’t get to do that often.
We’ve come off a bit of a break, which has been nice, and (we have) been able to get some conditioning into our bodies, the guys that have come from the IPL and are going to be playing some cricket.”
Southee was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
“So the guys are refreshed in some sort of way, using the next couple of weeks to get ourselves prepared and ready to play three Test matches.
They are in quick succession but we have had a chance to prepare physically leading into this with some strength and conditioning stuff. Now, it’s just getting our loads to a point over the coming weeks so that we can rock on to those three Test matches.”
he added.
Southee, who has contributed 51 wickets at an average of only 20.00 in his 10 Tests towards Kiwis’ surge to the WTC final, also played down suggestions that New Zealand can treat the series against England as a warm-up exercise for their marquee encounter against India.
“I think anytime you get a chance to play a Test match for New Zealand, it’s an amazing opportunity and it’s something that you treasure, so I don’t think you would treat them as warm-ups. It’s a two-match Test series against England and so our focus is first and foremost on those two matches against England,” he said.
“For us, it is great to have those matches in the lead-in to the final that follows on afterwards. It’s great preparation for the final but in saying that, for us it’s a two-match Test series that we’re really looking forward to, and the quality English opposition in these conditions,” Southee added.
New Zealand reached the WTC final after finishing second on the nine-team league points table. Kane Williamson and company won 7 of their 11 fixtures spanning 5 series.
While they weren’t as successful in foreign conditions and lost 3-0 in Australia besides managing a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka, they dominated India, West Indies and Pakistan in home conditions.
Due to hurdles posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Kiwis couldn’t play one of their three scheduled away series in Bangladesh. But their series win at home last year will give them a psychological edge against India.
