New Zealand coach Stead sees silver lining in late T20 World Cup start

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead is optimistic that their late start in the T20 World Cup 2024 will provide ample preparation time and insights from earlier matches.

New Zealand's first game is against Afghanistan in Guyana on June 7. Despite rain disrupting their Caribbean stay, they have managed two full training sessions including centre-wicket scenarios.

The team opted out of warm-up matches as the squad only fully assembled on Sunday with Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson joining after brief home visits post-IPL. This resulted in some players not having played since March, and jetlag has been an issue, though the late start allows time to adjust.

"You don't always get ideal [situations] when people are coming from all over the world," Stead told reporters. "And one of the things we have found here is jetlag probably hits you a little bit hard. I know a number of people have been up in the middle of the night, which isn't great for your preparation, but thankfully we have enough time leading in being the 14th game of the tournament that guys can sort that out."

"Looks like the weather bomb that was hitting here has passed us by. It's definitely somewhat of a concern that in such a quick period of time of pool play that you want to play every match you can," he added.

Stead reported no injuries in the 15-player squad, with Finn Allen fully recovered from a back injury.

He is also closely monitoring the Afghanistan-Uganda night game for insights on dew and conditions in Guyana.

"We'll get an idea if that helps the ball slide on a little more…it will be interesting to see after tonight how that plays out," he said. "We've tried to select a group of guys who we think are adaptable and can adapt to the different roles and situations in the match. When you look at our squad it's been the strength of a number of players in the past, working out what par is on any given pitch.

"I do think there will be a difference between playing in the daytime and in the evening. I suspect there will be a high dew factor here to play in the evening and that's certainly the news we are getting," he concluded.