Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting praised New Zealand‘s performance in the ICC Champions Trophy, calling their campaign nearly flawless. He believes the Kiwis can take pride in their runner-up finish and that an ICC title is within their reach. This was New Zealand’s seventh ICC final and their first since the 2021 T20 World Cup, where they lost to Australia in Dubai. Of the seven finals they have played, they have won two the ICC Knockout in 2000 and the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting said, “I don’t think anything went wrong for them. They had another outstanding tournament and played brilliantly throughout.”
“I was asked before the tournament about my top four predictions, and usually, when discussing ICC events, New Zealand is always in the mix because they consistently perform,” Ponting said.
“I left them out this time, thinking Pakistan would progress since they were playing at home, along with South Africa. But again, New Zealand proved why they belong in these big tournaments.
“They were outstanding in the semi-final against South Africa, delivering one of the most dominant one-day performances. Scoring 360-plus, which is the highest in Champions Trophy history, was remarkable,” he added.
He also praised Matt Henry, who missed the final due to injury but finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.
“In the final, they faced a strong Indian team, pushing them to the last. They weren’t far off. Despite some key players not performing and Matt Henry being unavailable, they still had an excellent campaign,” Ponting noted.
“If they continue to reach these stages, it’s only a matter of time before they win an ICC title,” he concluded.