New Zealand coach Rob Walter is confident his young squad will be driven by their recent World Cup final disappointment, setting their sights on the 2028 T20 World Cup on home soil. The Black Caps reached the final of the recently concluded tournament but fell to India by 96 runs.
Walter expressed pride in his players' determination to secure a short-format world title for New Zealand, especially with the 2028 T20 World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. He anticipates that a significant portion of the current squad will strive to be part of the 2028 team.
The semi-final win against South Africa, highlighted by Finn Allen's century, was a notable achievement. However, Walter acknowledged mixed feelings about the tournament, noting the disappointment of not performing at their best in the final after a strong run.
"You're always pretty proud of making a World Cup final," Walter stated. "We played well when we needed to, and then obviously pretty disappointed we didn't play our best cricket in the final. So it's a classic bittersweet moment."