Martin Crowe: Exhaustion is NZ's biggest concern

Brendon McCullum of New Zealand bats during the One Day International match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval on January 11. Photo / Getty Images.

New Zealand great Martin Crowe fears exhaustion may play a role in the Black Caps' attempt to win the Cricket World Cup in New Zealand next month.

The Black Caps face Sri Lanka in the second match of their seven-game ODI buildup series in Hamilton tomorrow.

Then they face Pakistan in two further one-dayers on the eve of the Cup before the tournament opener on February 14 against Sri Lanka.

If the Black Caps make the final, they will have played 17 games in two months to get there.

The Black Caps camp already have injury concerns with leading batsman Kane Williamson resting a shoulder injury and bowler Kyle Mills battling back from a hamstring problem.

Crowe, writing in his latest column for website ESPNcricinfo, wonders if the Black Caps have taken on too much.

"The 11th World Cup is just around the corner, yet New Zealand have a further eight games to play before they march out on February 14 to play the opening match," Crowe wrote. "Normally that's more than a whole summer's worth. This is my only concern as I assess their chances."

The former New Zealand skipper, who averaged 45.36 during his 77-test career, also said belief would serve the Black Caps well in the finals.

"Often, semis and finals are so nervy, you don't have to be at your very best to win, you just have to believe fearlessly throughout," Crowe continued.

"To win a World Cup, the top two inches need accurate organising if you want to believe you can beat the best, anytime, any place."

New Zealand have been to the semifinal stages of previous World Cups but have never been able to get over that hump and Crowe said their batting would need to hold up at the business end of the tournament.

"In this lies the potential crux to New Zealand's chances. Can they feel the pressure moments and move past them? History shows that pressure speeds up the thought process, leading to a rash thought and a crucial mistake. This batting line-up must take its time when the moment comes, even stop the game momentarily to talk it through, select the right thought or affirmation, thus avoiding the deathly collapse."

Crowe praised the efforts of national selection manager Bruce Edgar and coach Mike Hesson and said he thought they had the balance of their 15-man squad right, even with the controversial selection of journeyman all-rounder Grant Elliott. Crowe tipped Elliott to push Tom Latham hard for the No 5 spot in the batting order.

One selection conundrum during the tournament would be how the bowling unit would shape up and the Black Caps have numerous options at their disposal.

"Tim Southee has been building a reputation for a while now and will lead the attack with movement and accuracy. Trent Boult and Kyle Mills the same, yet with different release points," Crowe wrote.

"Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne provide raw pace and aggression - speed being a necessary inclusion in each match. Nathan McCullum and Daniel Vettori will rotate the spin berth, while also playing a vital role at eight in the batting order. It's a superbly balanced unit, brilliantly coached by the departing Shane Bond. They will all need to play a critical part. This is where the team selectors and advisers will earn their crust."

As he has previously stated, Crowe reinforced his thoughts that New Zealand's ability in the field could help them triumph.

"Most impressive of all will be their fielding, ahead of all other contenders," Crowe said of the Black Caps. "If they can continue to take a quarter of the wickets with mind-blowing athleticism, then they will prevail."

Crowe also said Hesson and Edgar needed to balance the workload of their men during the ongoing series against Sri Lanka and the subsequent build-up series against Pakistan so the players would be firing for the World Cup.