Retiring New Zealand Wicketkeeper BJ Watling 'Pretty Pumped' For The 'Exciting' WTC Final vs India
Published - 16 Jun 2021, 05:20 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:47 AM
New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling is buzzed on playing his last Test match – the inaugural final of ICC World Test Championship from June 18. The 35-year-old had announced that he will hang his boots from international cricket following the marquee clash with India in Southampton.
BJ Watling reckons this is a good time for the Kiwis to bag silverware in the WTC final. He asserts that the side is in good form, beating England 1-0 recently, after dominating the home season through which they qualified for the final. However, he will prepare himself for the mega-event like any other Test match to keep his nerves calm.
“It’s obviously a massive opportunity to win a title, but I think what we’ve been doing leading into this, winning the games at home this summer, and then obviously winning a Test series against England, it’s certainly been fantastic,” BJ Watling was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz.
“We’ll try and do our best and try to carry on the form that we’ve been playing in for a reasonably long period. I’m just looking forward to playing another test match. It is an exciting one, and I’m certainly pretty pumped to be in the final. I’m just going into it how I do with every other test, going through the processes of trying to win a test match.”
I’m thankful that I haven’t been majorly injured over my time: BJ Watling
BJ Watling is arguably New Zealand’s best-ever wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket – he has scored more runs (3397) than any other Kiwi keeper, and hit 7 hundreds, again the most for any Kiwi keeper. He also has more dismissals (260) as a keeper than any of his predecessors.
The right-hander feels fortunate to have had a largely injury-free career, unlike other players who pick up major injuries due to the schedule.
“I think as a cricketer you have the odd niggle sometimes. The back, it’s been pretty good to be fair for most of my career. There’s been a couple of instances when it’s just played up a bit, but I think you learn how to manage those types of injuries, and I’m thankful that I haven’t been majorly injured over my time,” he stated.
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