ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

October 31, 2022

Lockie Ferguson

The Gabba

New Zealand

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. Perhaps just a general comment on the team, if everyone is available and how they're looking forward to this match against England.

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Yeah, our team has come together nicely here in Brisbane, and everyone is fit and firing well. Good to see Daryl get out there again for us with his hand, so that's pulled up well, too. So the team has done well.

Q. For yourself, you haven't played at the Gabba before. How are you looking forward to that opportunity?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Yeah, first time for me here playing at the Gabba. Hopefully we get a good run out there tomorrow. I had a wee peek at the game against India, but unfortunately that was rained off, too. Looks like a nice wicket. Certainly we'll be keeping a close eye on how the games go there today, and looking forward to taking on England tomorrow. It will be a great challenge.

Q. Just on Brisbane, have you been chatting with Jergo much about his experience there?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Oh, yeah, Jergo is absolutely flying here in Queensland. He loves it, coming back here. But certainly he's got plenty to offer all around Australia, having a lot of knowledge, having played here, has been super helpful.

It's been interesting going around Aussie. I haven't played as many ground here, and they do change quite a lot, but certainly the Gabba being a true wicket and bigger boundaries sort of has its strengths and weaknesses, of course, too, but yeah, Jergo has been great.

Q. Also Tim and Trent have been fantastic so far in this World Cup. How are you finding it as a pace trio at the moment, and what have you noticed that's working so well for you?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Yeah, Tim and Trent have had a blinder in the first two games, and when the ball is swinging, there's not much better in the world, certainly from my point of view, and nice to follow them, as well.

But yeah, I think the way the boys have kept the plans very simple for us and stuck to what they have done extremely well for a long period of time, it's exciting to see them have some success earlier in the comp, but clearly there's a long way to go for us, and we need to make sure we take it game by game.

England is going to have a lot of firepower that we need to combat in this next game, so I'm sure the boys will be up for the next challenge.

Q. What are you expecting from England?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: What you always expect from England. They come out very hot. They pride themselves probably on that aggressive nature and bat very deep. Certainly we need to come out with our own brand of aggressive play, and that's not to say that's it's anything different to what we have done, and we have a different way of going about that. But certainly the way Tim and Trent have started us off has put us a great foot forward in our first two games, so I think from that point of view, nothing needs to change too much, and we just need to adjust to the conditions on the day.

In Sydney it was a bit of a different wicket probably to what will be here at the Gabba, but we haven't played on it yet, so we're just going to have to keep an eye on the game before us and sort of cross that bridge when we get there.

Q. How is the body?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Yeah, body is good. Yeah, happy to get through the first two games, and obviously very stoked to be here, and having missed out on the World Cup last year, just the night before, it's very pleasing to be out here and playing for our country in a World Cup. I obviously love it.

Had my family over for the Sydney games, which was epic, too, so it made it that much more special. Of course being in Aussie, the Kiwis are just across the ditch, and a lot of Kiwis coming and saying g'day to us around the city and the streets, so it's been awesome to have all that support.

Q. The two games you've managed to get on the park for and two big wins, one game you've put 200 on the board, and the other you've fought back from a sticky start. Does the fact you've been able to win in two different styles give the team a lot of confidence? Obviously each ground in this tournament does seem to be throwing up different challenges.

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Yeah, for sure, you're exactly right. Each ground has its own challenges. The wickets are playing differently.

But it's been probably one of the more exciting World Cups certainly because of that reason. I think the competition between bat and ball has been fantastic throughout the whole comp, and there's been some tight tussles. The way we played in Sydney was great, two different styles, as you said, on probably two different wickets.

But just quickly on Glenn, that's one of the best hundreds I've ever seen on a wicket that was very challenging, and you even saw towards the end he was clearly well into his innings and the ball was doing all sorts off that pitch. One of the great innings, and I couldn't be happier for him, but certainly to get us out of the hole we were in with some fantastic bowling from Sri Lanka and some early wickets, he did very well.

Q. Has there been any more feedback to Glenn about his running start at the non-strikers' end where he was taking that position? Do you think it's something we might see again?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: He's an entertainer, that's for sure. There's no doubt about that.

I think with Glenn, you're never sure what you're going to quite get. I don't think he knows sometimes; ideas just come to him at the time, which is great. I think it's awesome for world cricket. Obviously I love it, and I think there should be more of it.

But I don't think Glenn needs a head start when it comes to running their guys absolutely rapid. So perhaps the other batters can look at options, but no, I'm just playing, of course, but Glenn doesn't do anything special.

Q. You touched in the previous answer on the style of cricket we're seeing in this tournament. Does it feel like a different brand of T20? I know you guys did put 200 on the board in the first game, but broadly speaking in the games you might have seen on TV, does it feel like a slightly different version of T20?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: I don't know. I've played around the world, and obviously conditions count for so much. Boundary sizes do too, of course. It's probably hard to say.

I think T20 in Australia you get different wickets, and they've had a lot of rain here, so that does have some effect on the preparation of wickets.

But yeah, I think across all games, there's so much pressure on each game, and of course you're only playing each team once, and each game is worth two points. There's as much pressure on any team that you play, and it's been fantastic to see the competition and some potential upsets throughout the comp.

But yeah, from our point of view, we have to keep continuing to stick to our plans, plan A. It sounds silly sometimes, but the fundamentals are what get you through and trusting our teammates that they're going to get through the hard times and swing momentum as much as we can in our favour and then run with it as long as we can.

But very pleasing start for us, but a long way to go, and certainly tomorrow is going to be a big challenge.

Q. You spoke about the firepower at the top of the order for the England batters. I know you face firepower all the time in T20 cricket, but how much do you have to have your variations on song against a side that has so much firepower at the top of the order?

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Yeah, look, I think you're spot on, but the nature of T20 cricket now is that every team has sort of got that same firepower at the top and who can really take it on during the powerplay. England is absolutely no different. They've probably been a leader on that front for a long period of time, and they back a long deep batting lineup with power throughout.

But yeah, look, we have to come back to what we do well. We don't need to change anything in that sense. We have played T20 as a group for a long period of time, and there's some calm heads in our team and some good plans that have worked over periods of time.

Our brand of cricket might not look as aggressive as them, but we need to stick to what we have done well for a period of time and make sure we throw our own punches in our own way.

But yeah, as England is every time, a huge challenge for us, so we're really looking forward to it.

Q. If you win, you claim top spot if you haven't already. Do you guys care about that at all? You've probably got a tough opponent no matter who you face in the semifinals, I suppose.

LOCKIE FERGUSON: Exactly. It's very much one game at a time, so tomorrow is a big focus for us, and then after that we'll cross the next bridge when it comes. But certainly it's been fantastic to see the level of T20 cricket over here and seeing some friends playing for the Netherlands and doing well, and as I said, the affiliate teams playing some fantastic cricket, as well.

Every team, two points, doesn't matter. The same pressures are on, and I think that's what's so great about the World Cup is that you just get these one-off games at conditions and grounds that you're probably not used to playing the other team at. It's certainly fantastic to be here and be a part of it.