The team management held a meeting on Saturday to decide how to help players cope with long periods of inactivity during the seven-week tournament and keep their rhythm, coach John Bracewell said on Sunday.

"Waiting for games has been the hardest part for the players to deal with," he told reporters on the eve of their Super Eights match against Bangladesh on Monday.

"The only things that can stop a team are the opposition obviously, complacency and the other is anxiety, having to wait so long for matches and the build-up."

The Black Caps waited six days between the group matches in St Lucia and their opening second-stage Super Eights match where they beat hosts West Indies on Thursday in Antigua.

'LONG TOURNAMENT'

A six-day break for the Kiwis will follow the Bangladesh game but the next three will be played within six days, starting with Ireland on April 9. They then have another six-day break before their final Super Eights game with Australia in Grenada.

"You still got to bear in mind it is a long tournament," added Bracewell.

"We got a period when we go through three games in six days, that is quite an intense period, then six days off.

"So breaking up of that rhythm is quite difficult and you also have got to be aware of the workloads all the bowlers are doing, given the (injury) history."

Unbeaten New Zealand are seen as leading title contenders alongside champions Australia despite injuries to several of their players. They are the only unbeaten teams left in the tournament.

All rounder Jacob Oram (broken finger), batsman Ross Taylor (hamstring) and paceman Mark Gillespie (shoulder) have recovered.

However, opening batsman Lou Vincent (broken wrist) and bowler Daryl Tuffey (bicep) were forced to return home and their replacements have joined the squad.

Bangladesh and New Zealand trained at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Sunday due to wet nets at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium, the match venue.