New Zealand have more self-belief now

Australia's encounter with New Zealand in Auckland falls very firmly into the category of matches I wish I was still around to play in. Sitting back, retired, on the couch, I am sure I will feel like jumping through the television screen and getting involved. It has quickly become the most anticipated match of the World Cup.

It doesn't matter who goes to New Zealand for one-day cricket, their record at home is unbelievably good. The Aussies will have their work cut out on Saturday.

It should be a pretty good game of cricket because both teams match up pretty well and are well balanced. They've both got very good opening bowlers, very good top-order batting, and good allrounders in the middle.

New Zealand have been building for a while. If you look back over the last two years, they have actually got a lot of depth around their cricket now, which they probably haven't ever had to this extent. Generally I think that's why they've struggled a bit in Test cricket and been stronger in one-day cricket, because the format brings teams closer. But they have a better fast bowling group now than they've ever had. Also, really good allrounders like Corey Anderson and James Neesham; and also Luke Ronchi, the way he's batting.

Another major factor in the build-up is the change of captaincy. I know Brendon McCullum quite well; he's a positive and aggressive sort of person, and I think that's the way they're playing their cricket now. A lot was going on around New Zealand cricket not so long ago, with dramatic changes made to the way they went about selecting the national team and also the wrestle over Brendon replacing Ross Taylor as captain of the team. There would have been a lot of tension between Ross and Brendon when that decision was made, but if you look at their results subsequently, it seems to have worked out for the best.

Brendon was a player who caught my eye when he played against us for New Zealand, but our relationship grew significantly when we played together for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first edition of the IPL. I was at the other end for much of his memorable 158 not out in the very first IPL match, and we spent quite a few weeks together during that tournament.

I found that his way of playing is an extension of his personality - he plays to win, he's aggressive by nature, and that attitude has served him well as New Zealand have grown as a team.

Brendon is always trying to take the game forward, and I think that is rubbing off on the rest of the side. They have plenty of quality players, but there is also a bit more belief in themselves. That's backed up by the way they went about the run chase against England - there was something very Australian about how they went about peeling off a small total. Brendon was trying to stamp himself and his team on the tournament with the way he came out and batted. To see your captain come out and play that way would have been a really powerful thing.

Ronchi has been another significant boost for the team. I was leading Australia when he made his brief foray into our team in the West Indies in 2008. He made an incredibly rapid 50 in one of his appearances and showed himself to be an ultra-talented young batsman and keeper, with a good, infectious personality. I'm really pleased he has got the chance to play more international cricket. It was a gutsy move to leave Western Australia, and he appears to have slotted in nicely with New Zealand.

Eden Park's unique dimensions will cause plenty of headaches for Michael Clarke in his first match back as captain. Even if the pitch has changed orientation, the boundaries can still seem to be right on top of you. A few ways can be found to minimise the damage - bowling to the side of the wicket that has the longer boundary always makes sense, while spinners should be allowed to spin the ball away from the short boundary.

On the batsmen's side of things, the captain and coach ought to be trying to have a right- and left-hander together at the crease, meaning that at least one of your batsmen in the middle can hit towards the short side, particularly against spin. As each innings moves towards its conclusion, you are also likely to see the traditional fielding norms reversed - the best and most agile stoppers will prowl the fence rather than the fielding circle, while those less manoeuvrable will find themselves closer to the bat.

I have been amused a little by talk emanating from New Zealand that they have given up on sledging. Any New Zealand side I played against always had a bit to say, and Brendon was usually one of them. Tim Southee is another who was always talking, so much so that he reminded me of James Anderson for how competitive and "in your face" he could be. A few of the younger members of the side, such as Corey Anderson, may be more mild-mannered, and maybe they are trying to say that as a way of keeping the Aussies quiet when they play, but if it does turn out to be an aggressive contest, I'm sure the Kiwis won't be taking a backward step.

Playing across the Tasman can be a difficult experience for Australian teams - just for the aggression of the spectators, let alone the players. It is an intimidating place to play as far as the crowds are concerned, and there is always plenty going on. I can remember on some of my early tours there, all sorts of things would be said to you, and sometimes also thrown at you! The atmosphere was pretty hostile, and that could help to gee you up for the game.

I never really stopped to ask why our matches against New Zealand became less frequent, mainly because we assumed that it was to make room for more games against India. We were often questioning the schedule but were less frequent in wondering about why we played some opposition more than others. But a lack of first-hand knowledge should not be too much of an obstacle to either team, for analysts on both sides will earn their keep providing plenty of video and statistics to inform team plans.

Something that may come into play if the game gets close is the fact that for all the talk about New Zealand lifting when they play Australia, they very seldom manage to emerge as winners. The 2007 Chappell-Hadlee Trophy in New Zealand and the second Test in Hobart in 2011 stand out as New Zealand's only significant victories over Australia in the past decade. That will be at the back of Brendon's mind, and it remains to be seen whether New Zealand can prove themselves winners against an in-form Australia on Saturday.