"We Really Pride Ourselves..." - Daryl Mitchell Speaks On Criticism For Supporting Cramping Virat Kohli

New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell addressed the criticism regarding helping a cramping Virat Kohli during the semi-final against India in the ICC World Cup 2023. Daryl Mitchell emphasized that the Black Caps aim to play cricket in a manner that reflects their values.

Former Australian pacer Simon O’Donnell criticized New Zealand players for supporting Virat Kohli, who suffered cramps while scoring a century at the Wankhede Stadium. Several New Zealand cricketers checked on him and assisted in stretching Kohli’s hamstrings.

We Really Pride Ourselves On As Black Caps – Daryl Mitchell

Speaking before the team left Mumbai late on Thursday, Daryl Mitchell emphasized the team’s pride in conducting themselves with integrity. Mitchell expressed the team’s commitment to respect the rest of the world, both on and off the field.

“I think that’s something we really pride ourselves on as Black Caps and as New Zealanders. We want to play cricket in a way that suits us as a country and how we want to see our kids grow up and play the game themselves,” Mitchell told reporters.

“We’ll keep playing cricket the way we do as Kiwis and hopefully the rest of the world can respect us and how we go about our day-to-day life, not only on the field but off it as well. It’s something that we’re really proud of, so we’ll just keep being Black Caps and doing what we’re doing.”

That’s The Nature Of International Sport – Daryl Mitchell

Daryl Mitchell commented on the demanding schedule in international cricket, citing the quick turnaround after the T20 World Cup final a couple of years ago. He mentioned the team’s familiarity with such scenarios and expressed their love for test cricket.

“That’s the nature of international sport these days. (After) the T20 World Cup final we played a couple of years ago, we had a T20 in India about 48 hours after that, so we’re used to it,” Mitchell further added.

“We’ll show up, we love test cricket, it means a hell of a lot to this group. We’ll be ready to go come the first day of that test and wear that black cap again.”

Also read: “Bas Kr De Bhai” – Twitter Reacts To Daryl Mitchell’s Fighting Ton Against India In CWC 2023 Semi-Final