Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, declared that his team
will find the going easy on placid wickets in the sub-continent – where the
World Cup will be held – after playing in Testing New Zealand conditions.
"This is going to help
us more than New Zealand," Waqar said on Monday ahead of Pakistan’s fourth
One-day International against New Zealand to be played in Napier on Tuesday.
"New Zealand are more
used to these conditions and we are used to conditions back home in Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh and India. We'll probably cope better with that than them. We're
pretty used to playing in our conditions but this series probably helps us
focus a bit more,” said the former Test fast bowler "These are tough
conditions for batsmen. To play here, then go over there I think it will be a
little easier in that part of the world for us,” stressed Waqar.
Pakistan lost the opening
game by nine-wicket while the second ODI was washed out. However, the visitors
bounced back in the third game in Christchurch last Saturday, beating the Black
Caps by 43 runs.
In Christchurch, their
approach was very much the Pakistan of old. In spite of losing a couple of
early wickets, Pakistan managed to build a strong platform without stepping up
on the gas and then blasted the home attack in the last ten overs that fetched
them 126 runs. Skipper Shahid Afridi smashed 65 off just 25 balls.
Waqar wants his team to stick
to the same formula during the rest of this six-match series.
"We try to make sure we
get into a situation where the middle order and lower middle order comes into
play. That's exactly what happened," he said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand
captain Daniel Vettori has conceded that the hosts are finding it hard to get
the right combination.
“It seems whatever balance we
go in with, we don't quite have enough batters or not quite enough bowlers, and
maybe that just could be the conditions," he said.
"New Zealand conditions
dictate you might need that extra seamer, but when we get to India you can play
the more fiddly bowler. It's probably not like for like but you just want guys
in form and feeling good about themselves, and most of that will come from
winning."
While Pakistan are unlikely
to field an unchanged side for the fourth game, New Zealand have recalled
Vettori and opening batsman Jesse Ryder, both rested for last Saturday's game.
Left-arm spinner Luke Woodcock and pacer Kyle Mills have been axed from the
playing eleven.
