"I know a number of people have been up in the middle of the night" - Gary Stead on jet lag affecting New Zealand's preparation for 2024 T20 WC
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead outlined jet lag as an obstacle in the team's preparations for their opening game against Afghanistan on Saturday, June 8. The Blackcaps have been drawn in Group C of the T20 World Cup, and are the only team from their group who are yet to play a match.
The Kane Williamson-led side landed in Trinidad almost a week ago, with a section of the squad involved in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). New Zealand will play three of their four group-stage matches in Trinidad, while their upcoming clash against Afghanistan is slated to be held in Guyana.
A few members made a quick trip to visit home in New Zealand before making their way over to the Caribbean. With the massive 16-hour time difference between the two regions, the Kiwi squad had to battle some serious jet lag.
New Zealand also did not play any warm-up matches in the lead-up to the tournament, with their last competitive fixture being the tour of Pakistan in May, which included a second-string squad.
"You don't always get ideal [situations] when people are coming from all over the world. 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," Gary Stead told reporters.
New Zealand have been eliminated from the semi-final stage of the last three T20 World Cups they have participated in. They were eliminated in the Super 8 stage based on net run-rate the last time the West Indies hosted the competition.
"I do think there will be a difference between playing in the daytime and in the evening" - Gary Stead on playing conditions at the 2024 T20 World Cup
With a total of 55 matches crammed inside a month across multiple nations, the day games and the night games make a shared presence in the schedule. New Zealand's first three games will be played under the lights, while their last group-stage match against Papua New Guinea is a day encounter.
Stead noted that dew will make a crucial impact on how teams approach the evening matches.
"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," Stead said.
New Zealand are drawn alongside West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea in Group C.