"What is he doing in New Zealand?" - Mitchell McClenaghan questions veteran Colin Munro's absence in Blackcaps' 2024 T20 World Cup squad
Mitchell McClenaghan, part of several of New Zealand's World Cup campaigns over the years, has criticized the team's decision to leave the experienced Colin Munro out of their 2024 T20 World Cup squad. The Blackcaps' exit from the tournament was confirmed after Afghanistan defeated Papua New Guinea in Trinidad on Friday.
Left-handed opening batter Munro has been a prolific run-getter in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) over the years. Representing the Trinbago Knight Riders and the St. Lucia Kings, he has amassed 2353 runs in 79 matches at an average of 35.65 and a strike rate of 128.86.
He was also in relatively good form, having impactful individual campaigns in the 2023-24 Big Bash League (BBL) and the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL). The veteran scored 224 runs in seven innings at an average of 37.33 for the Brisbane Heat. On the other hand, he finished as the sixth leading run-scorer in the PSL and the leading run-getter for Islamabad United, who won the title.
"They left the guy out of the squad who scored 2146 runs in the Caribbean. What is he doing in New Zealand? That is all I'll ask you. It has probably been our worst World Cup since 2014 in Bangladesh," McClenaghan said (via ESPN Cricinfo's X handle).
New Zealand chose to stick with their trusted opening pair of Finn Allen and Devon Conway. However, with the latter coming off a major injury and Allen's batting style not really conducive to Caribbean conditions, they could not make an impression in the first two matches.
Conway has scored a combined total of five runs, while Allen was dismissed for a golden duck in the clash against Afghanistan by Fazalhaq Farooqi.
"Maybe we went into this tournament thinking that Afghanistan was not going to be as good as they were" - Mitchell McClenaghan
New Zealand came into the 2024 T20 World Cup without having played a warm-up match. They were also not active during the build-up period. They were given a stern wake-up call in the form of an 84-run defeat to Afghanistan, and then failed to capitalize on a winning situation and lost to the West Indies as well.
"Perhaps, we got caught on the hop. Maybe we went into this tournament thinking that Afghanistan was not going to be as good as they were, and that we good get over the wood against the West Indies even in their home conditions. Probably went a little bit unprepared, and it has cost us," McClenaghan said in the same interview.
"T20 World Cups are a different beasts to the One Day World Cups. Our batting was a major concern, and you have got to look at the experience in the Caribbean, when there is a competition that plays there every year. There is only one player who has played there consistently, and that is Glenn Phillips," McClenaghan added.
New Zealand still have matches against Papua New Guinea and Uganda to look forward to following their elimination.