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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

June 21, 2019

Lockie Ferguson

Manchester, England, UK

Q. Lockie, I suppose the question we'd be interested in is how do you get any better at the top of the order the way the New Zealand side is bowling now? What changes do you have to make to improve on what you've achieved already?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: From the bowling front? Look, I think we've been fortunate to have the conditions outside for sure. But the bowling in itself, we've got confidence for sure and conditions that support us.

We've traditionally done really well. It's exciting to have some good starts in the World Cup for sure, but tomorrow will be a new game and a new surface, and we'll have to adjust to that one as well.

Q. The mood in training seemed very positive. How does the atmosphere help the performance so far in the tournament?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: I think we talk a lot about our culture with the Black Caps. It's really noticeable when you go away from it and come back to the team. And, yeah, you probably saw that in training today. It's normally very similar to that with all the games we play at warm-ups.

And we're a good bunch of friends. And that's the honest truth. And we get along really well. When we train like that and push each other, both at training, it means that we often can put it out on the park. But it's an exciting bunch to be part of.

Q. The Kiwi pace attack is being talked up as some of the best in the tournament. Just wonder what your thoughts are on that?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: Yeah, I suppose we've had a reasonable start to the comp. But as I said it's a game by game thing, particularly in the World Cup where every match is worth two points, and we need to front up every game and put our best foot forward.

Tomorrow, it's going to be a new day. We haven't played yet here at Manchester and that looks like a good wicket. So we'll have to start with both scores at zero and hopefully put our good foot forward.

Q. Plenty of runs here at Old Trafford so far in the tournament. Have you talked about methods to stifle that?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: I think we've been talking about -- we've definitely been talking about that. The whole World Cup, there's been talk before the cup even started about big scores.

As I said, every ground is different. So we do our scouting for the team we're playing. Obviously West Indies tomorrow. They've got some exciting hitters. But of course we've got to scout the ground as well. It's a big ground and it's a good wicket which often loads of runs are scored.

As I said, we'll start from 0-0. But the boys are taking a lot of confidence from the areas that we've been hitting at the start of this competition. And hopefully we can continue that sort of confidence going forward.

Q. What gets you more excited, is it the reading on the gun or is it the discomfort the batsmen have been facing? Do you find yourself looking at the big screen at the reading?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: The speed reading? I actually haven't really noticed it. Does it come up? Sorry, I haven't noticed it at the ground. It's a question I get asked a lot for sure but I guess I'm not a traditional big swinger of the ball. So pace is sort of where I generated a bit of hesitation and try to put the batters under a bit of pressure.

But it's nice in the conditions here in England. It's often quite suited, and I'm sure the wicket tomorrow will hopefully have a bit of pace as well. It's an exciting place to bowl quick for sure, and I think across the whole World Cup, ever team has impressive fast bowlers, and it's exciting to see fast bowlers doing well in a World Cup, too. So I enjoy bowling quick for sure.

Q. I know you don't bat a lot, but what's the threshold where pace becomes a factor, becomes uncomfortable. Is it like 140, 145 or something?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: It's probably slightly different for me than it would be our top order, but, yeah, probably better question for our top order. But I think for me if bowlers are bowling over 140 I know the crowd gets behind it. It's always nice to watch some good pace bowling, some good aggressive pace bowling in a game that's probably now pretty good as a batter to play on. We play on great wickets.

It's nice to see some quick bowlers' aggressive bowling. The West Indies have been sort of taking that approach out of the whole World Cup. And they've had a lot of success against Pakistan bowling in that sort of aggressive fashion. And that way it's exciting as a player to watch. But, yeah, tomorrow will be a new test for sure and I'm sure it will be a great game.

Q. Can you sort of roughly tell what pace is set to set balls down at?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: What rough play sides do?

Q. Can you tell -- this was four. This was really quick?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: Which game.

Q. Any ball, you send down a bowler, can you tell, oh this must be 150 or --
LOCKIE FERGUSON: Oh, can I tell? Sorry, when I bowl it? Yes, not to that point. Some days it comes out nice. But, as I said, it's one of those things if I see the highlights later we might see the pace. But at the time I must say it's not at the forefront of my mind.

Q. You've got some brief experience here at Old Trafford. How did you find it when you came here in the past with the English T20 competition?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: We had one game here for sure in T20. It was a good wicket. If you bowled good hard areas, then you got a bit out of the wicket, a bit of pace and carry. But if you missed a bit, fall a bit short, then it comes on nicely.

So it's one of those ideals for one-day trackers. If you bowl good areas you get some reward. I think the pace and balance is nice, and obviously square boundary is being a reasonable size here. It's helpful for that sort of short pitch bowling as well.

But, yeah, have to assess the conditions tomorrow morning -- midday -- sorry, and try and make adjustments as we go.

Q. With Kane's century, Eoin Morgan's record breaking, David Warner yesterday, how good is it for the tournament to see these big players coming to the boil and have a good challenge it is for when you face them?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: I think the World Cup's fantastic for that. The pressure I was feeling from being in the dressing room -- Kane handled it so well out in the middle. And I guess at big tournaments, often the big players step up and it's exciting when they do.

Kane's knock was an exceptional one, probably a really tough wicket at Birmingham. And he had his nerve all the way to the end and then got us across the line. And that's the key, I think, in these big World Cups is that the team that holds the nerve the longest and gets across the line is most important.

But it's exciting, I think, from a batting point of view. There's some big runs scored, some big hundreds. But also from a bowling point of view we've had 5-fers. We've teams thrown out for small totals. So it's been one of those great World Cup where batters and bowlers have been having a really good competition through the whole comp and I'm sure it will continue to go through the rest of the games.

Q. How much does what the West Indies batsmen were able to do to the bowlers in the warm-up game play on your preparation for this game? Is it significant?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: I think it still plays for sure. They batted very well in that warm-up game in Bristol and put us under a lot of pressure in a warm-up game, too. But for sure we'll be taking some of the learnings we took from that game, start again, obviously score's at zero.

But there's no secret that the West Indies have a powerful lineup all the way through. And as a bowling unit we need to learn, if they get on a roll, we need to learn to shut down areas and build up pressure again and hopefully take wickets. But, yeah, it's no secret in this comp that the West Indies have a very powerful lineup.

Q. I'm just wanting to know how the mentality of the team has changed or shifted now that you're widely considered semifinalists?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: I don't think it's changed at all, if I'm honest. I think we've said from the start of the tournament that we're focused on each game as they come and do our scouting on the team and also the wicket that we're playing on, turn up and play the game as we always do as the Black Caps and give it our all, and scrap for every run and for every one saved on the field. That's how we play.

And we're looking forward to tomorrow once again having another opportunity, another challenge, against a big-hitting side. But obviously the boys are taking some confidence from the first few games, but a long way to go.

Q. How much does it set the tone when you've got someone like Kane Williamson in form?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: For the team?

Q. Yeah, for the squad.
LOCKIE FERGUSON: I think we've got a lot of batters playing well on our team and for a long time. But it's nice when Kane's playing well, Ross is playing well, Gupi. Our top has some experience here, and as a bowler it's nice when they're spending time at the crease. And particularly Kane's knock last game of note is getting us across the line in a tough situation in a big match. So it's exciting. It's a good team to be part of. But, yes, very pleasing.

Q. Unbeaten so far and almost there to the semifinals. This is -- I mean, a bunch of the players from the squad, a few of you have played in the 2015 World Cup as well. It's been a better start than that. You guys were the finalists then. Has there been any discussion on the team about how it's been a similar pattern, probably better than that? And how are comparisons being drawn between the two campaigns of the two World Cups so far?
LOCKIE FERGUSON: Obviously there's some great memories from that World Cup. I was a spectator during it. And pretty amazing how it happened in New Zealand and the team played as well. But there's not been a huge discussion. We're focusing on every game, putting a big onus on the focus on each game, every team, making sure we do our job and our roles each game and focus on that, because every game counts for so much.

But as I said, it's that sort of culture that's been helping us along the way. And I'm sure going forward we'll be doing the same sort of tactically.

Q. Just during the training session out there, saw Ross Taylor go off with a sore finger. I'm just wondering if you've got an update on that.
LOCKIE FERGUSON: Ross is all good, yeah.

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