Smarting from their failure to get past pool play in defending their ICC Champions Trophy prize in Sri Lanka, New Zealand's leading players have been told the next two months could be the most important two months in their careers.

TelstraClear Black Caps coach Denis Aberhart said on the team's arrival home today that the unbroken period from now until the start of the Indian tour of New Zealand was vital to team hopes for the World Cup in February/March.

"Of course we are disappointed with our results. We prepared and planned well for the tournament but Australia played very well and were on top at the start of their batting and bowling and they never let us in with a chance.

"We were short of our own game."

Against Bangladesh the side had done what it had to do. However, its problems with its batting approach had been seen even against such lowly-rated opposition.

"But it is better to find these things out now rather than at the World Cup," he said.

The New Zealand players will be on individual training programmes aimed at sharpening their skills, their physical fitness and techniques.

"It is a pretty important two months, for some of them the most important two months of their careers. They will have to work on their game and do all the things they know they have to do to be ready by the time the Indians arrive," he said.

No pre-season team camps are planned at this stage as most players will be working with their respective first-class associations.

All teams are taking part in pre-season camps at New Zealand Cricket's High Performance Centre at Lincoln University starting in the first week of October.

Aberhart said there were still concerns over the application in batting, at the top of the order and through the middle stages of the innings.

"Batting-wise, we didn't apply ourselves," he said.

That stemmed from the poor starts and which put the pressure on the remaining batsmen, a situation exacerbated through the absence of Craig McMillan and Chris Cairns.

Despite the lack of success enjoyed by the opening pair of Nathan Astle, and skipper Stephen Fleming, Aberhart said the side was committed to having them open the innings.

Mathew Sinclair had shown enough with his batting to warrant more consideration in the one-day side while he was very happy with Lou Vincent's wicket-keeping, although not so pleased with his batting.

The short-orders for the team in their World Cup preparation will be to work on batting techniques individually, developing the ability to construct an innings once individuals have got a start and more accuracy from the bowlers.

These were predicated by the always obvious need to do the basics well.

"The right players are there if you add McMillan and Cairns," Aberhart said, it was just a case of ensuring they were all at peak readiness for the Indians and the World Cup.

© CricInfo