London: Fast bowler Matt Henry believes that Tim Southee and Trent Boult are New Zealand's greatest pace bowling partners.
Henry, with 78 wickets in 43 ODIs, is part of Kiwi's 15-man ICC Men's Cricket World Cup squad. The 27-year-old has not featured in the team regularly despite his impressive statistics.
"It is quite a unique situation to be involved in such a strong squad. You have arguably New Zealand's greatest bowling partnership with Tim and Trent. I think it is really exciting to be involved in this group," ESPNCricinfo quoted Henry, as saying.
"I obviously haven't played regularly but it is important to be focused. Keep trusting in your process and training, and when you get the opportunity, put your hand up. The strength of this unit is the bowling group. It is not about yourself but as a collective. The roles are clear. It breeds success," he said.
Talking about his strength, Henry said consistency helps him maintain focus.
"I am not a raw pace bowler, like a 150kph bowler; more like late 130s, early 140s. Consistency is key for me, so I look to keep operating at the 140kph mark. I think my consistency in using my lengths and bumper has helped me get where I am right now," the fast bowler said.
New Zealand's bowling has improved in the last few years, the high-scoring clashes cannot be ignored since the 2015 edition of the World Cup. Teams, including the host England, have deep batting now that makes it difficult for bowlers to contain them in the death overs.
Explaining how the Kiwis handle such situations, Henry said, "Teams are batting deeper and deeper now, so you must have options. If they are one-pace hitters, change of pace is your option. It could be targeting them with the heavy length of your bouncers or yorkers."
"It comes down to becoming a bit unpredictable. If the batsmen get a read on you, it shows the power that players have these days. You can go the distance, even if they are number 10 or number 5."
Henry further noted that England is a great place to play. The fast bowler, who made his Test debut at the Lord's, is looking forward to performing in the forthcoming marquee event.
"It is a dream for any cricketer to represent your country in a World Cup. It is an exciting time for New Zealand cricket and for this group of players. We have a lot of depth now. England is a great place for cricket as well," he said.
The much-anticipated World Cup is scheduled to run from May 30 to July 14.
New Zealand will begin their campaign on June 1 against Sri Lanka in Cardiff.
