Mark Richardson: No need for any changes

The Black Caps have named an unchanged XI to meet Afghanistan. Photo / Getty

When things are going well in a cricket game, you don't change a thing.

You stay put, in the same chair, same position, you don't make a move. It's a load of bollocks but, with the amount of failure you have to deal with in this game, you hold on to anything for the sake of confidence.

The Black Caps have decided against making any changes to the playing XI against Afghanistan today. It probably wouldn't have made any difference to the positive momentum they have built to date but would have asked: is there any point to making changes? Probably not.

Fatigue is not an issue given the time between games so, when it comes to rest and rotation, rest is not part of it. It is simply a question of the value of rotation.

Could the campaign benefit from giving Tom Latham, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan and Nathan McCullum a run? After much thought, I've decided there is no benefit.

The top three bowlers for Afghanistan are not too bad. Forget the mauling handed out by David Warner because, when Warner and Glenn Maxwell fire, attacks better than Afghanistan's are in for some tap.

There is some worthwhile batting practice to be had against the Afghans and a bowl is a bowl as far as the bowlers are concerned. However, for the sake of the campaign, match practice time is best spent on the incumbents.

If New Zealand are to win this World Cup, they will do it with Plan A. They will win it playing to the formula they have prescribed to and I see little benefit in preparing for Plan B.

And, really, how much is to be gained for a player in one hit-out against a minnow?

How much benefit is there really in giving Latham, Mills and Co a token run? No disrespect to them, because they are fine players, but the way this tournament works they can achieve more for the team cause by playing good net cricket.

Cricket is different than rugby. In a rugby campaign, you have to expect injuries and injuries to key players and, therefore, Plans B, C, and D need to be given considerable attention.

In a cricket tournament, you can assume you will be able to play every game with the same XI.

There is one thing I would seriously consider going into today's game, though. If things are progressing nicely when batting, I would consider retiring batsmen.

Use the batting overs to give the middle order time in the middle in the middle overs, even time in the middle with a little artificially-created pressure.

This is our our World Cup campaign and it is up to our team to do what they must to win the cup.

• Mark Richardson is on Radio Sport, Monday-Friday, 6am-9am.