Hyderabad, (UNI) New Zealand batsman Glenn Phillips on Sunday said Netherlands are a good side and are going to be a tough team to beat at the ICC Men’s World Cup.
“I think they’re a really good team. Obviously, they’ve beaten quite a few good opponents to be able to qualify for the tournament in the first place. So, they’re a team definitely not to be taken lightly,” he told reporters on the eve of the sixth World Cup match here.
“They have a lot of high professional cricketers that play all through county cricket as well. So, they’ve definitely got a good skill set. They know their roles. They bond together well as a team. And I definitely think they’re going to be a tough team to beat in this competition,” he added.
Asked how New Zealand are looking to work for the game against Netherlands, Phillips said they are not taking any team lightly as every team is strong in their own right.
The Netherlands have a lot of strong players, and the team should put their best foot forward, he said. “So, keep coming up with our plans, doing our scouting, making sure that we have everything set in place,” he added.
On the opening partnership between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra against England in the last match, Phillips said the duo were absolutely brilliant.
“Obviously a 270-odd run partnership is phenomenal, especially for two guys in their first World Cup,” he said.
From the team’s perspective as well, it is nice to know that they are in some serious form, Phillips said.
Moreover, everyone in the warm-ups had nice little outings and a good feeling persists in the camp as of now, he said.
Asked if it was a pleasant surprise with the way Rachin was batting, Phillips said he wasn’t because he had played a lot of cricket with him back home.
Rachin plays a very aggressive brand of one-day cricket and likes to play with a lot of flair, he said. “He plays that square drive incredibly well, which with the new ball is an absolute asset. And then the way he combined with Dev as well, the tempo they both set, they struck at 120, 130 without even almost lifting a finger. It was phenomenal to watch,” he added.
