Published: Mar 28, 2015, 12:03 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 28, 2015, 12:04 PM (IST)
It was the first time in the World Cup history when New Zealand qualified for the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 after beating South Africa in a nail-biting match on Tuesday. With the six from Grant Elliott came the winning moment which saw the New Zealand fans go absolutely ballistic at Auckland. Skipper Brendon McCullum and his side face co-hosts Australia in the final at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday and are just a win away to lift the coveted trophy for the very first time.
The win in the final will surely be the nation’s finest moment in sport, believes New Zealand’s cricketing great Sir Richard Hadlee. Being a rugby fanatic nation, cricket serves as the secondary sport in New Zealand but the fans have been charmed by the positive and aggressive display of cricket from McCullum’s side, which Hadlee rates as the best side the nation has ever produced for the mega event.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Australia, England, India, they’re in it for the first time, and they have an opportunity to create history in our game, which means they will never ever be forgotten,” Hadlee said in a report from IANS.
The former fast bowler claims that the Black Caps, who have reached their first final after six semi-final defeats, have a fantastic opportunity to win this year’s chartbuster event. “It’s like the rugby when they won it in ’87, they’ve won it twice, and we’re yet to do it. You look at the America’s Cup, great moment in our sporting history, win the cricket World Cup and it’ll be right up there with our greatest ever achievements,” he said.
The 63-year old, who is also a board member of New Zealand Cricket, feels it is high time to seal the deal after a 40 long years wait. “We’ve had 40 years of World Cup cricket and to finally get across the line if we do is part of our cricketing history,” Hadlee quipped.
“Being a board member and involved with New Zealand cricket for a long time, it’d be one of the great moments, very, very special and something I’d love to see in my time,” he concluded.
