McGrath and Pollock are my role models, Mills says

Abu Dhabi: New Zealand's Kyle Mills is the No 1 bowler in one-day international cricket rankings. He clinched the prestigious position through consistent performance in recent months.

Mills also bowled brilliantly in the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa to guide the team to the final.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Mills spoke about the factors that contributed to his climb to the top.

Gulf News: How does it feel to be the world's top ranked bowler?

Mills: I think it is the result of the hard work I put in during the last two to three years. The important factor that has motivated me is my team's hard effort to be the No 1 team in the world. We played reasonably well to make it to the final of the Champions Trophy and that was in line with my objective. This series against Pakistan is a very important one and hopefully we can play well and keep up the momentum.

What did you do to strengthen your bowling?

I tried to identify bowlers around the world who are similar to my style of bowling like Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock. I watched them closely as to how they went about the business and the way they bowled.

One thing that stands out about them is that they are very consistent and that is what I have tried to implement during the last couple of years.

During the Champions Trophy you bowled extremely well. Was it because the conditions suited you or because of the changes you brought about to your bowling?

All that I did in South Africa was to be consistent and bowl in the right areas. I also had Shane Bond, who is a top bowler, at the other end, to keep the pressure. So I tried to do my part of bowling as consistently as possible.

Do you have any particular aim now?

The biggest aim for me now is to be part of the New Zealand team for the World Cup which is just 16 months away. It is important that we win the World Cup and give a big boost for cricket in New Zealand.

What do you feel about the Pakistani batsmen?

Some of them are pretty aggressive. At the top order they have some really aggressive batters. In the middle order I can see a bit of inexperience and hopefully we can exploit that. It was nice to beat Pakistan in South Africa and so I am sure they will come back pretty hard on us here.

Among the three forms of the game, which do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy all forms of the game. Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game, Twenty20 cricket is very exciting and one-day cricket has been around for some time. I love giving my best in all three forms of the game.

How did you like the conditions in Dubai for training?

The facilities in Dubai were outstanding. It was indeed a world-class facility. I am able to understand that it was pretty hot a couple of months back here. So it has got a bit cooler and the weather is indeed beautiful. It is going to be entertaining cricket and it will be a tight series.