BAN vs NZ| Winning away from home is becoming hard in international cricket, reckons Tim Southee

New Zealand are scheduled to host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series, and the tour will begin with the first red-ball fixture from January 1 at the Bay Oval in Tauranga. New Zealand recently lost the two-match Test series against India in a 1-0 margin, but the same Kane Williamson-led side clinched the maiden World Test Championship title in June, and a few months later, the Blackcaps reached the finals of the T20 World Cup 2021. 

“As a side, we are continuing to look to get better and grow as a team. I think performing overseas is one thing. In international cricket now, winning away from home is becoming so hard, especially in Test cricket. As a side, that's an area we hopefully can improve on. We've had a little bit of success overseas over the years but that's somewhere we would like to improve,” said Southee while speaking to select media during an event organised by Amazon Prime Video.

"I suppose with Covid, there's been a lot of major cricket in one year. The World Test Championship and then the T20 World Cup. As soon as something finishes, another thing starts. That's the focus when you're directly involved in the sport. There's another T20 World Cup (in 2022) that's not too far away. There seems to be a lot of cricket (coming up). As a side, over the periods of time, we've had players come and go and we always try to navigate those challenges each time and move in the right direction,” he explained. 

New Zealand had climbed to the top spot in ICC Test rankings this year and they are currently placed second on the list. Also, the Black Caps are at the top of the ODI rankings. Reflecting on New Zealand's performance in 2021, Williamson revealed that his team had good days and bitter moments, which helped them to learn a lot on improving their approach towards the game.