New Zealand

Poor form: New Zealand have struggled in recent ODIs

Overview

New Zealand are the World Cup nearly men, having lost all five of their semi-final appearances down the years.

The Black Caps are traditionally labelled as the pre-tournament "dark horse" but that tag does not seem to apply this time around after a difficult year.

The low point was undoubtedly a 4-0 series reverse in Bangaldesh, prompting a switch of coach from Mark Greatbatch to John Wright.

Expectations, then, are lower than usual for an experienced squad in what Daniel Vettori has already said will be his swansong after a four-year spell as captain.

Strengths

Safe hands: Taylor excels in the field

New Zealand boast the ICC's top-ranked bowler in the shape of skipper Vettori.

The left-arm spinner provides a cutting edge to an otherwise mundane attack, combining a wicket taking threat with superb economy during the middle overs.

The batting line-up is hit and miss but at least features power hitters all the way down the order.

The Kiwis are also a decent fielding unit and have a particularly good slip cordon, highlighted by the excellent Ross Taylor.

Weaknesses

Passed fit: Oram

The core of New Zealand's squad is not getting any younger and injuries, especially to Vettori and all-rounder Jacob Oram, have exposed a lack of depth.

The batting is painfully inconsistent and the seam bowlers lack the cutting edge that used to be provided by Shane Bond before his retirement.

The biggest problem, however, is a recent run of poor form that has seen the Black Caps win just two of their last 16 ODIs.

As part of their preparations, New Zealand played 14 ODIs in the past calender year in the subcontinent and have managed a grand total of one victory.

Six-hitter - Jesse Ryder

Wild card: Ryder has had plenty of off-field issues

Ryder, an often controversial figure, has thrived in the one-day arena despite his regular injury and disciplinary problems.

The left-hander will probably be used in the top three at the World Cup, where he can use his ability to hit over the top during the early powerplay overs.

Ryder, however, is not just a pinch hitter. He has shown the ability to convert his flying starts into something more substantial, most recently with a century against Pakistan in Auckland.

Strike bowler - Daniel Vettori

Top man: Vettori is the number one ranked bowler in ODIs

Overseeing a period of transition in New Zealand cricket has not been easy for Vettori, who has nevertheless shouldered the burden manfully.

The 32-year-old remains one of the standout spinners in the world game and has developed a particular liking for the 50-over format.

There is not great mystery to Vettori's bowling, he has a classical side-on action and mainly relies on changes of pace and flight to cause the problems that have brought him 279 ODI wickets so far.

Look out for...Nathan McCullum

Oh brother: Nathan is the elder of the two McCullums

Living in the shadow of younger brother Brendon cannot have been easy for spin-bowling all-rounder Nathan, who did not make his ODI debut until the age of 29 in 2009.

He has since become a valued member of the squad and offers a bit of everything - useful off-breaks, big-hitting cameos and occasional moments of brilliance in the field.