Former England skipper Michael Vaughan overlooks India and England, crowns New Zealand No.1: New Zealand has been one of the finest sides in world cricket at present. They have showcased their dominance across formats of the game, beating India in India first in the Test series and then in an ODI series in two back-to-back years. The side has reached the four finals of the last nine ICC tournaments across formats and has won only once.
The Kiwis won the ICC World Test Championship final back in the 2021 edition, beating India in the final. The Black Caps have yet again qualified for the knockout stages of the 2026 T20 World Cup. They are seeded in the Super 8, Group 2 with England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Michael Vaughan heaps praise New Zealand team
Ahead of the first match in the Super 8 against Pakistan on Saturday, a former England captain, in a talk show named Stick To Cricket, has praised the Kiwis and has backed their ability, despite not winning the major trophies; they have been at their very best.
Michael Vaughan said, “New Zealand cricket team are, for what they have in terms of the pathway programs in New Zealand, the amount of people that they’ve got to pick, they’ve got to be pound for pound the best team in the world, haven’t they, in terms of what they deliver in all three formats. I know they’re not winning majors, but they’re always there.”
Here’s the video
“Pound for pound they’re the best team!”
How impressive are New Zealand? 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/iteV6PaeKw
— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) February 20, 2026
“And beating your intense matches. For getting the maximum out of what you’ve got. So I’ll go again, look at what we’ve got in this country now. All our pathway programs, everything that happens within English cricket academies, you know, our Lions team, suddenly they’ve been to Australia this winter, now to go to the UAE,” Michael Vaughan added.
New Zealand does not have the best facilities like the ECB
“The amount of kind of facilities there for our players to improve, which I’m, I’m guessing New Zealand don’t get, and the expense that we have at the ECB to be able to afford that. Um, the Kiwis have got to be, haven’t they?” Phil Tufnell in reply asked, “How do they do that?’ Vaughan replied, “I don’t know. Is it what they do?”
In reply, David Lloyd said, “They’ve got 6 teams, haven’t they? That’s it. They’ve just got 6 teams. And so there’s a small pool of players. Yeah, and you’ve got every chance if you’re in that pool, you have every chance of playing. They must have like it’s uncomplicated, is their system.”
New Zealand cricket has improved over the years
Later, the three discussed Kiwi’s club cricket and what it is like, and assumed that it was probably quite strong. However, they did not have much knowledge about it but believed it was good, though not better than the Sheffield Shield, which is a domestic first-class cricket competition in Australia.
The Kiwis are in a transition phase; however, they have some experienced campaigners on their side who are guiding the young cricketers, and they are playing a good brand of cricket, especially in the ICC tournaments. The Kiwi openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen have been in sensational form. They would look to firepower from the top tomorrow against Pakistan.
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