TOM LATHAM ON NEW ZEALAND'S CHAMPIONS TROPHY OPENER AGAINST PAKISTAN
18/02/2025
ICC25
18/02/2025
ICC25
Category
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00:00Hi, Tom.
00:10Hi.
00:20Do you know why you're training later than usual, with a slightly short turnaround with the game tomorrow afternoon?
00:38No, not too sure. That's just the time we were allocated, so guys will prepare as best they can tonight and get ready for tomorrow.
00:48And do you have an update on Rachid?
00:51He will train tonight, so then we will get a bit more of an indication of how he's going.
00:57His recovery is obviously going good, but we just need to make sure. It's obviously a pretty nasty injury,
01:03so especially when you're involved in the head, you want to make sure things are right.
01:08So just going through the protocols that he needs to go to, and we'll wait and see.
01:14You've spent more time in Karachi than obviously any other side besides Pakistan.
01:18Do you think there's an added advantage to that?
01:20Do you feel you understand the conditions here now ahead of that game, especially having had that final before as a bit of a dry run?
01:27Yeah, I think any time you've been in conditions that you're coming up against is vital.
01:32I think we're lucky we've travelled here over the last couple of years and played Pakistan quite a bit since,
01:39probably over the last three years, so I think for us it's always about trying to eliminate any surprises around conditions
01:46or surprises around teams that you come up against.
01:50I guess from both teams, Pakistan and us have got information on each other,
01:56so it's going to be another cracking game tomorrow, I'm sure.
02:00The opening game of the Champions Trophy is really special,
02:03and to be playing against a host nation is going to be a great occasion,
02:07so yeah, we're looking forward to it.
02:18Tom, the Kiwis are flying high now.
02:21You have won three games and you won the warm-up games.
02:24Do you think your team is doing well in spin and fast bowling as well as in batting?
02:30Do you think that early peaking sometimes creates some trouble?
02:36What do you think?
02:38Yeah, it's obviously nice to be performing.
02:41I guess you look throughout the tri-series and the warm-up game,
02:45we've been fortunate enough that everyone throughout the squad has had some time in the middle,
02:50whether it be with the ball or with the bat.
02:52It's nice that we've been playing well.
02:55I think throughout the tri-series we were put under pressure in all three games,
03:00and we obviously managed to overcome that and come out on the right side.
03:03So yeah, obviously it's nice that we've got the results,
03:06but I think at the same time it's nice that we've been able to overcome that pressure,
03:10as I just said, and hopefully that will hold us in good stead for what we've got coming up tomorrow,
03:15but also the other games to follow.
03:20Ledham, 2-0 against Pakistan in the tri-series.
03:23Obviously, if you look at the final match, your spinners made a huge difference.
03:28Santner and Bracewell both together conceded just 58 runs in 20 overs.
03:33Do you think that was the upper hand for you guys,
03:37as far as if you compare your spinner tag with Pakistan?
03:41They only have one regular spinner, Abrar Ahmed.
03:45Yeah, as you mentioned, those guys were fantastic through the middle.
03:49I guess in one-day cricket, if you're not taking wickets,
03:52then you've got to be able to control a run rate,
03:54and I thought those two guys did it fantastically well.
03:57I think the guys up top, we managed to take some early wickets,
04:01which is really important in one-day cricket,
04:03but even though there was a little bit of a partnership in that last game,
04:06as you said, Mitch and Michael were able to control the run rate
04:11and put some pressure on that middle order,
04:13and I guess in turn we managed to take some wickets towards the back end,
04:17which was fantastic.
04:19As I just said earlier, we've been fortunate enough
04:23that the fast bowlers and the spinners have had some great head-outs
04:27throughout the tri-series,
04:28and hopefully that will hold them in good stead for what we've got coming up.
04:32Latham, what's the update about playing XI tomorrow,
04:35and Jameson will be available?
04:38When will he be joining the team, and what will be the team for tomorrow?
04:41Do you get any news?
04:42No, we haven't got an XI yet.
04:44We've obviously got training now,
04:46and we'll come up with what the XI will be.
04:50As you said, Karl Jameson is on his way over tomorrow,
04:53so he unfortunately won't be available for tomorrow's game,
04:56but will be available for the rest of the tournament.
05:00Hi, Latham, this is Zubair from Express News.
05:03My question is that recently history shows that you guys reached the high-rise score,
05:11and do you think that tomorrow's conditions will give you the favour,
05:16and could you reach the high-rise score?
05:20Target.
05:21Did you say the high-rise score?
05:23Yeah.
05:25Yeah, look, we're on a different wicket than we played on in the previous game here,
05:30so I guess from our point of view it's about playing our brand of cricket as best we can
05:35and trying to adapt to each situation.
05:38I guess the high-rise score, as you just mentioned,
05:41isn't necessarily something that we're focusing on.
05:44It's about playing what's in front of us as best we can,
05:47and whatever position that puts us in,
05:49then hopefully it will put us in a position where we're able to come out on the right side.
05:54But I'm sure throughout this game we're going to be put under pressure at times,
05:58and hopefully we can land them back on those experiences that we've had throughout the tri-series
06:03and obviously try to absorb that pressure
06:05and then I guess be in a position to put pressure back on the opposition when the time's needed.
06:11Yeah, hi, Tom.
06:12Yeah, I'm from GW, I was from Germany.
06:16I'd like to have some questions about tomorrow's match.
06:19You will go after the two matches against Pakistan,
06:23and the third match against Pakistan, maybe you win over Pakistan,
06:28but how do you prepare for the pitch,
06:32because in the last match the pitch in the second session was slower,
06:36and tomorrow it can be also a slower pitch.
06:38So how can you handle the Pakistan spinners?
06:41Yeah, just as I said in the previous question,
06:44for us it's always been about adapting to conditions,
06:47adapting to surfaces as best we can.
06:50The surface that we played on here against Pakistan
06:53looked slightly different to the one that they played on when Pakistan played South Africa.
07:00So I guess we'll have a look and see what the wicket's like today,
07:03but again it's about assessing it as best we can and playing what's in front of us.
07:08We've been here a little bit now,
07:10we've played obviously three games and a warm-up game,
07:13so guys are reasonably familiar with conditions,
07:16and I think for us it's about just focusing on us as best we can
07:20and trying to play our brand as best we can,
07:22and hopefully that will give us a good chance at the back end of the game.
07:26Tom, you guys beat Pakistan in a tri-series twice,
07:29but if we see the recent results of the ICC tournament,
07:33Pakistan has a upper hand on you guys.
07:35Is there any psychological pressure in ICC events against Pakistan?
07:40I wouldn't say so.
07:42I think throughout, whether it be ICC events or bilateral series,
07:47we've come up against Pakistan.
07:49There's always been some great battles and some great games,
07:52and I'm sure it's going to be no different tomorrow.
07:55As I said, both teams have knowledge on each other
07:59and I guess how they're potentially going to approach the game.
08:02So I guess for us to be playing the opening tournament against Pakistan,
08:09you know, the host nation,
08:10I'm sure it's going to be a packed crowd here in Karachi
08:13and I'm sure they'll have plenty of support behind them.
08:16So we're really looking forward to the challenge
08:18and as I said, I'm sure it'll be another great game.
08:21Thanks, guys.