WELLINGTON: Having walloped the West Indies without raising a sweat, NewZealand are expecting a more rigorous workout when the one-day seriesagainst Pakistan begins in Wellington on Saturday.
Pakistan are on a nine-match winning streak, which includes winning the ICCChampions Trophy and in their one warm-up game they scored an impressive341-9 against a New Zealand XI with unbeaten centuries to openers FakharZaman and Azhar Ali.
They then rolled the New Zealand side for 221 with Shadab Khan taking fourwickets.
New Zealand dominated the West Indies in every game of their tour, butcoach Mike Hesson was wary of the Pakistan threat.
“They’re as good a bowling attack as there is going around in world cricketat the moment. Certainly very varied. They’ve got wrist spinners, fingerspinners, and left and right arm quicks,” Hesson said.
“They’ve got some very good performers and from a batting point of viewthey’re experienced.”
But they will have to adjust to New Zealand conditions with overnight rainforecast and strong southerly winds during the day, which could poseproblems for top-order batsmen Fakhar Zaman, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam.
Fakhar, who averages 44.44 from nine ODIs, “has had a great start to hisinternational career but has never toured New Zealand, so there will bechallenges adapting to different conditions,” said New Zealand quick TimSouthee.
On the Basin Reserve wicket and with the prospect of inclement weather, NewZealand can be expected to unleash the short ball that proved a valuabletool against the West Indies.
But Hesson said they had to pick their moments.
“Against any side you’ve got to use your bouncer wisely and if you bowlgood ones then that helps,” the coach said.
“It’s certainly not a matter of a bouncer barrage, it’s just a matter ofusing it wisely and what you follow it up with is equally important.
“Both sides have got some genuine quicks and I’m pretty sure there will besome good grass on (the wicket) with the forecast.”
Pakistan’s bowling ranks are limited without the injured Junaid Khan, UsmanShinwari and Imad Wasim.
But they do have the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler Hasan Ali and captainSarfraz Ahmed said morale was high after beating India by 180 runs in theChampions Trophy final.
“Our players got a boost. We’ve continued the same way since with just theodd changes, so it gives us a proper chance of having a decent team at the2019 World Cup.
“People at home were happy and excited. It was a long time since we’dbeaten India, so there were lots of congratulations from the Prime Ministerdown.”
Pakistan have since swept a five-match series against Sri Lanka althoughtheir recent record against New Zealand is not that impressive.
Over the past three years they have been beaten 2-0 in two separate seriesand lost a home series to New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates 3-2. -AFP