Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand has performed a delicate balancing act in its build-up to the Cricket World Cup — the first in its backyard in two decades.
On one hand it has tried and largely succeeded through an extensive program of warm-up games to build momentum ahead of the tournament opener against Sri Lanka on Feb. 14.
On the other it has tried to manage the expectations of its own fans, realizing that those expectations, much greater at home, may be the heaviest burden they carry through the Cup.
A growing confidence within the New Zealand team has made the balancing act more difficult. Senior players have struggled to contain their own belief that this is the most balanced and best-prepared team New Zealand has ever sent to a World Cup.
Daniel Vettori who will play in his fifth World Cup, is among those who believe the Kiwis may be in a position to improve on their six previous top-four finishes.
"My previous four World Cups there has been some trepidation moving into it but this one feels like a good solid squad that is ready," the 36-year-old Vettori said. "Rather than stumbling into a World Cup like we may have done in the past, we can go into it with all our bases covered and everybody firing."
It is the fact that New Zealand has its "bases covered" that imbues the current team with such confidence. As a small nation, with a commensurately small pool of top players, New Zealand's greatest drawback at past World Cups has been a lack of depth.
It may have had one or two world-class players, several others of above average ability but it hasn't had, until this tournament, a squad teeming with talent and experience, with depth in all the vital disciplines.
The bowling attack, often a weakness, is a case in point.
Tim Southee and Trent Boult have become one of the most effective new ball combinations in test cricket and have begun to transfer that effectiveness into the one-day game. Boult hasn't been a regular member of New Zealand limited-overs squads but his left-arm alternative and his ability to swing the ball offers an important option with the new ball.
The youth and pace of Adam Milne and wicket-taking ability of Mitchell McClenaghan — he has 66 wickets in 34 matches — provide strike power. Veteran Kyle Mills has an economy rate of 3.0 and, when sound, offers control and containment at the start and at the death of the innings.
Allrounders Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott provide variation and spinners Vettori and Nathan McCullum are both good for 10 relatively economical overs and make the batting lineup longer.
"We're fairly well advanced in terms of what we think we've got that suits certain conditions," coach Mike Hesson said. "The bowlers have diverse strengths. The role of our spinners is different from other sides with wickets that don't turn a lot. They have a lot of grass so deliveries tend to slide on with changes of pace which enables us to create pressure.
"If they generate wickets with that, great, but our seamers can be used more in attacking phases."
New Zealand's batting has also developed. There are power hitters throughout the order: Brendon McCullum at the top, Corey Anderson at No. 6 and Luke Ronchi at No. 7. Kane Williamson provides solidity at No. 3 and, while opener Martin Guptill and No. 4 Ross Taylor recently have been out of form, they retain the confidence of coach Hesson.
There remains the pressure on New Zealand to perform, fueled by its recent strong performances.
"Every game we play we have to deal with some sort of expectation," McCullum said. "I think the guys we have in this squad are very humble and very level in their emotions and that helps you to deal with those expectations and some of the pressures that come on. That's not just leading into a game but in-game situations. I think one of the things we've been able to do recently is make calculated decisions under pressure.
"That's what this World Cup is going to require and I believe we've got the men to do it."
