New Zealand cricket legend Sir Richard Hadlee has hailed the current Black Caps side the best New Zealand has ever fielded, following their world test championship win over India.
Hadlee, who was the first bowler in international cricket to take 400 test wickets, labelled the eight-wicket win a “special day”
“It was a thrilling Test match, with twists and turns throughout and, despite the inclement weather and loss of time, it was a dominant Black Caps performance over a very good Indian team,” he said in a statement.
“It’s fair to say that this current group of players is the best in our history.
“Over the years NZC have built a significant depth of players, which makes us one of the most competitive teams in world cricket. The whole team has shown a high degree of professionalism. Their skill sets have complemented each other to make them a complete playing unit.”
Hadlee said the side’s performances over the past couple of years had been “outstanding….and they thoroughly deserve to be crowned world champions”.
The Black Caps won the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) title, beating India by eight wickets in the final in Southampton overnight, sparking celebrations on social media in New Zealand.
The weather-disrupted final marked the culmination of a two-year cycle of the WTC, which was launched in 2019 to create test cricket’s pinnacle event.
Other outstanding New Zealand cricketers have also praised the side.
Hadlee’s words were echoed today by former Black Cap wicketkeeper turned cricket commentator Ian Smith who played for the Black Caps through the 1980s and 1990s.
Speaking today at a launch of a new sports outlet, SENZ, Smith said the Black Caps were a complete team with high quality players across a range of disciplines.
