FAISALABAD, Pakistan, 3 December 2003 — New Zealand’s chances of saving the five-match one-day series against Pakistan, who are currently leading 2-0, fell further yesterday with the news that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was rejoining the Pakistani side.
“We are going for a clean sweep and Shoaib’s return will definitely bolster our attack with Sami already firing on all cylinders,” said captain Inzamam ul-Haq, who missed the second match due to bad throat.
The Black Caps, touring Pakistan to complete a series abandoned in May 2002 after a devastating suicide bomb attack outside their hotel, were decimated in the second match Monday by fast bowler Mohammad Sami.
Sami took a career-best 5 for 10 to give Pakistan a comprehensive 124-run victory. In the first match in Lahore, Pakistan had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to a blazing 47 not out by all-rounder Abdul Razzaq.
The third match will be played in the eastern industrial city Faisalabad today.
Shoaib, nicknamed the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ for the speed of his bowling, missed the first two matches due to a ban for using abusive language against South African tail-ender Paul Adams in October.
New Zealand, already missing captain Stephen Fleming and seven other key players, will be further weakened by the absence of Jacob Oram, who suffered a side strain in the second match.
Fellow all-rounder Chris Harris will step in for Oram. Captain Chris Cairns said his team was outplayed in the second game.
“We played well in the first game but the second one was more disappointing than the first match because we were just outplayed,” he said.
Cairns was run out for 29, triggering a middle-order collapse which saw his team lose six wickets for two runs. “Losing all those wickets was inexplicable, but having said that Sami is a good performer, they were his conditions and he blew us away.”
