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Black Caps 'proud' of World Cup run but 'moving forward' with new Test Championship

July 29, 2019

Coach Gary Stead said the team is ready to change formats and embark on a new campaign.

They had an impressive run at the World Cup, but the Black Caps are ready to move forward.

That's the mindset of coach Gary Stead after revealing his 15-man Test squad today which departs for a two-Test series against Sri Lanka next month.

The series also doubles as the Black Caps' first matches in the ICC's new tournament, the World Test Championship - a two-year event where international sides earn points for any Test they play before the top two sides meet at Lord's in 2021 in a final.

Stead says the team, which is currently the No.2 Test side in the world, are determined to make another final at Lord's.

"It's exciting times for the country in terms of what happened at the World Cup and, I guess, now from my point of view, it'd be nice now to move forward to the Test Championship and try and build on some of the success we had at the World Cup," Stead said.

Stead admitted he hasn't had much time to catch-up with players who are also transitioning from the World Cup to Test cricket action, having only arrived back in New Zealand on Saturday.

"I don't think it's a matter of moving on - I think we should embrace what we've been through," Stead said.

The Black Caps reached the World Cup final where they played England at Lord's but they came up one run short in their quest for a title after the thrilling match was sent to a super over.

But Stead said that experience along with the others will help the side.

"At the end of the day, we played in a World Cup where we played 11 games and we had six that went absolutely down to the wire and could've gone either way. 

"We got over the line in four of them and had a tie in the last one but any time you can come away with winning two thirds of the close ones, that's a really good sign.

"We should embrace that, we should remember it and also be proud of the efforts that we had over there but also keep moving forward to what's ahead of us now.

"We can't keep dwelling on what happened."

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