NZ take series with 120-run win

New Zealand 315 for 8 (Williamson 97, Taylor 96) beat Sri Lanka 195 (Sangakkara 81, Anderson 4-52) by 120 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Ross Taylor's 96 was his first half-century of the series © Getty Images

A 117-run third-wicket stand between Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor was the centrepiece of New Zealand's imposing 315 for 8, which founded a 120-run victory against an ailing Sri Lanka. Williamson and Taylor hit 97 and 96 respectively, on a track not offering much beyond the first 20 overs, before Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott provided late-order acceleration to transform the total from dominant to daunting. Anderson also claimed 4 for 52 with the ball, as the hosts sewed up the series. They lead 4-1 with one match to play.
Sri Lanka arrived in New Zealand with high hopes for their southern-hemisphere season, but with one win out of seven matches in all, their World Cup plans have veered towards disarray. Once more, a vital catch was dropped. A straightforward chance from Williamson was spurned, and the batsman went on to make 70 more runs. Again the bowling failed to penetrate beyond the early overs, as the hosts' top order worked themselves into form.
And for the fourth time in the series, Sri Lanka's batsmen collapsed around a good innings from one of the senior three batsmen. It was Kumar Sangakkara's turn to wage a lone battle this time. He hit 81 from 66, as the team slipped to 195 all out in the 41st over.
In the first innings, Williamson played and missed while the ball was still new enough to move in the air and off the seam, but quickly established a tempo while Martin Guptill struggled at the other end. A back-foot punch off Suranga Lakmal brought him his first boundary, before an on-drive and a leg glance off Dhammika Prasad brought two more, a few overs later.
When Rangana Herath's spin arrived, Williamson used his feet adeptly, often trekking out of his ground to work balls into gaps. Herath should have had him for 27 in the 15th over, but Sri Lanka's trend of shelling vital catches continued. Dilshan got his hands to lofted cover-drive, but ended up parrying it over his head, having misjudged the pace at which the ball was coming to him.
Taylor was watchful early in his innings, as he sought to shake off a run of poor form. But he appeared to regain fluency after he hit Thisara Perera for four through the covers in the 18th over, and he and Williamson settled into a pattern of risk-free accumulation. They traveled at around four runs an over until Williamson raised the rate with two beautifully timed sixes over wide long on in the 24th and 26th overs, completing his half-century, off 60 balls, in between.
The pair continued smoothly as Lahiru Thirimanne got overs out of his less capable bowlers, partly to make up for those the still-injured Angelo Mathews would ordinarily contribute, but also because Lakmal had left the field with a groin strain, and could bowl no more than seven overs. Williamson was well on track to hitting his second hundred in three innings when he was run out, effectively by Taylor who did not respond to Williamson's call for a second. Williamson departed for 97 from 95 balls, despondent though he had put New Zealand on course for a second consecutive score of over 300.
Taylor completed his first fifty of the series in the same over Williamson fell, and quickly meted out punishment during the batting Powerplay, cracking Prasad square on the off side twice in the 37th over. A promoted Anderson began his charge too, walloping three fours himself in a Perera over that disappeared for 19, but just as he was getting his big hits humming, Herath had him caught at the cow corner fence.
Taylor would depart in sight of his 12th ODI ton not long after, trapped plumb in front by a yorker-length Dilshan ball. But though wickets tumbled towards the end of the innings, Grant Elliott's big strikes ensured that the foundation New Zealand had constructed at 40 overs - when they had 229 for 3 - would result in another commanding score.
That New Zealand did not achieve a total as great as their 360 on Friday, despite having been 175 for 2 after 34 overs, was thanks in part to Herath's control and Dhammika Prasad's intensity. The pair were brought into the side for this match in place of Nuwan Kulasekara and Sachithra Senanayake.
Sri Lanka's response began with some promise, as the openers progressed to 56 without loss in the 13th over, before a wild Dilshan swipe sent a nick through to the keeper, off Anderson. Thirimanne was strangled down the leg side next over for 29, as the team's efforts to find a decent opening partner for Dilshan had him batting at the top of the innings again.
Mahela Jayawardene was visibly out of touch, and was almost out twice to Daniel Vettori, who was playing a record 280th ODI for New Zealand. Though it was the spinner that troubled him, Jayawardene would be out to Anderson, scooping him gently to mid on in an attempt to correct his languishing scoring rate.
Kyle Mills, Trent Boult and Vettori all contributed mean spells of bowling, sending the asking rate ever higher, and it was that pressure that saw Dimuth Karunaratne hole out for 26, and saw both Dinesh Chandimal and Jeevan Mendis cheaply run out. Sri Lanka were always going to struggle after a big top-order partnership eluded them, but Sangakkara's dismissal in the 38th over effectively sealed the loss. He was out trying to lift his tour nemesis Boult over the inner ring. A third run-out and another high catch in the circle finished the match off.

McCullum registers New Zealand's fastest Test century

Skipper Brendon McCullum (195) smashed the fastest hundred (74 deliveries) in New Zealand Test history to put the hosts in command on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Hagley Oval here Friday.
McCullum bettered his own record by four deliveries as the 33-year-old hit 11 sixes - second highest in an innings in Test history - as New Zealand reached 429 for seven. James Neesham (85) and Kane Williamson (54) also punished the hapless Lankan bowlers.
McCullum feasted on the bowling attack as the visitors continuously bowled to his strengths, getting carried away by the ample carry at the Hagley Oval. They bowled way too short and the right-hander belted them away, square of the wicket, even when there were two men lurking in the deep.
With this 195-run knock in just 134 deliveries, the skipper has so far ensured that all his 50-plus scores in 2014, were converted into massive centuries- 224,302, 202, 195.
Sri Lankan debutant spinner Tharindu Kaushal also failed to contain McCullum, who also crossed the 1000-run mark in a calendar year.

New Zealand finished the day's play on 429 for seven in the 80th over - the most they have ever made in a day's Test cricket - having maintained a run-rate of 6.63 in the final session despite McCullum's exit.

nz clinch series as pak fall on 207

new Zealand capped a hard-fought tour of the UAE with a commanding win in the final match to take the ODI series against Pakistan 3-2. The Tests and T20 internationals had been tied 1-1 each. New Zealand had trailed in both those contests, as they did twice in the one-dayers before resiliently rebounding with victories.

Kane Williamson led with the bat again, along with Ross Taylor, as New Zealand posted a stiff total on a slow pitch and the fast bowler Matt Henry blew away the Pakistan top order on his way to a maiden international five-wicket haul. Pakistan had come within a couple of hits of chasing down 300 in the fourth ODI but they fell well short of the target of 276 as their poor record in series-deciders over the past decade continued.
Pakistan's top order had failed to fire throughout the series barring the third match. The trend continued as the express duo of Henry and Adam Milne troubled the batsmen again. Nasir Jamshed failed to review a poor leg-before decision fifth ball of the chase. Younis Khan was caught behind down the leg side trying to work a short ball fine.
Williamson held back his key fast bowlers and introduced himself and Anton Devcich to share the fifth bowler's quota. Forget putting pressure on the part-timers, Pakistan managed 1 for 40 from the 11 overs they bowled. The first boundary of the innings came in the 11th over, and the second arrived only in the 25th.
After Asad Shafiq went leg-before to Devcich, Shehzad found a stable partner in Haris Sohail and two forged a steady 69-run partnership. Shehzad had been reprieved twice, once on 17 when New Zealand did not review a plumb lbw and then on 43 when the keeper Luke Ronchi dropped him, Devcich the bowler to suffer both times. Shehzad gradually found his touch and was timing the ball well as he moved past his fifty, only to gift his wicket away with 169 needed from 22 overs. Henry returned and bowled it short. Shehzad mis-hit it straight to midwicket.

Kane Williamson was at it again with a 97 © AFP

Umar Akmal too found midwicket soon off Nathan McCullum and though Sohail carried on and made 65, the asking-rate demanded too much of him. Henry settled it with the wickets of Sarfraz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi as Pakistan were dismissed in the 44th over.
Williamson bowled five of those for only 18 runs after winning the toss and making his eighth fifty-plus score in ten ODI innings to finish with 346 runs for the series, the most on either side. Ross Taylor accelerated to hit an unbeaten 88 as New Zealand posted 275. The total was 24 short of what New Zealand had barely defended in the fourth ODI but the pitch also played slower than it had two days ago.
Afridi capped a strong all-round series for a return of 1 for 33 but Pakistan conceded 85 in the last ten overs. New Zealand followed the same policy they had on Wednesday with Williamson leading the build-up through the middle overs.
Williamson first partnered with Dean Brownlie for a 66-run stand after Martin Guptill fell early to Mohammad Irfan's steep bounce. Afridi and Sohail kept Williamson and Taylor in check, carrying on from the initial discipline of Irfan and Anwar Ali. Afridi especially was hard to get away with his quickish deliveries on a tight line mixed up with flighted ones.
New Zealand went without a boundary for ten overs at the start and then for 12 overs in the middle stages. Both times, Williamson broke the drought. The lofted shot over extra cover against the spinners came easily to him again.
Taylor was not comfortable at the start and took his time, his first boundary coming only off his 47th delivery, a tickle to fine leg for four. He did not get stuck, though, and drove Irfan down the ground to reach his fifty off 67 deliveries as New Zealand took 35 off the batting Powerplay.
New Zealand were well placed going into the slog with Williamson and Taylor having added 100-plus. Afridi had a couple of overs left, though, and he removed Williamson in his last, the New Zealand captain top-edging a sweep to the wicketkeeper to depart three short of his hundred. Taylor brought out his slog-sweep and connected a few boundaries off Zulfiqar Babar to make sure New Zealand finished strongly. Henry and his fellow bowlers did the rest

Pakistan Cricket Team To Wear Black Arm Bands To Show Solidarity With The Peshawar Attack Victims

The players from both teams will also observe a minute’s silence before the start of the ODI. 

On Tuesday morning, terrorists stormed an army-run school in the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwan, Pakistan. The gunmen took the school children and teaching staff hostage for almost eight hours until the country’s armed forces killed all the attackers in firefight. The attack left 125 children, 9 teachers, and the school principal dead.

The Pakistan cricket team sorrowfully reacted to the grieve development. Within two hours’ time the team manager and chief selector Moin Khan issued a statement condoling the victims.
The stand-in Captain Shahid Afridi talking to PakPassion.net said, “It’s sad what’s happened in Peshawar. Our prayers are with the families who lost their kids. I hope the situation will get better in Pakistan.” He further added, “Anything that happens in our country deeply saddens us, whether we are in Pakistan or away. Ever since we heard this news, we were saying that it should not have happened. We hope the situation gets better but also hope that all those who have the responsibility will improve the situation.”
The cricket commentators and the cricketers all around the world sympathized with the victims of the Peshawar school attack and urged the citizens of Peshawar to donate blood.

Pakistan vs India Field Hockey Champions Trophy 2014 Semi Final Goals PA...

nz look to fight back

Big picture

Pakistan broke their five-match losing streak with a thrilling win over New Zealand in Dubai. The bigger gain though, according to captain Misbah-ul-Haq, was the success of Haris Sohail's part-time left-arm spin as Pakistan look for options for the sixth bowler's slot, following Mohammad Hafeez's ban.

Hafeez's suspension, coming soon after Saeed Ajmal's suspension, has left Pakistan's combination for the series and the World Cup a little uncertain, and the side is actively exploring its options with batsmen who can bowl. With Hafeez likely to leave after the second ODI, to work on remodeling his action, Pakistan will have another vacant slot in their XI open for experimentation. The challenge for Pakistan - who have had an erratic year in terms of ODI results - will be to ensure that they keep winning and gain some momentum before the World Cup despite the experiments. 

The batting innings of both teams followed similar trajectories in the last game. While Misbah brushed off Pakistan's top-order stutter as "an off day", New Zealand's top order was missing Martin Guptill. In the field, New Zealand were done in by the level-headed stand between Shahid Afridi and Haris Sohail, and Nathan McCullum later said the side had missed "a key moment" when they failed to keep Pakistan's chase in check.

Ahead of the second ODI, however, the side received a boost when Kane Williamson was cleared to resume bowling in international cricket, enhancing the side's spin options in conducive conditions. A 0-1 scoreline has become a familiar sight for New Zealand on this tour but they have shown the tenacity to fight back. They levelled the Test series with an innings victory a few weeks ago and Kane Williamson was hopeful some of that confidence would rub off on the vastly different ODI side.

Form guide

(most recent first, completed matches only)
Pakistan WLLLL
New Zealand LLLWW

In the spotlight

	Jimmy Neesham's highest score on the tour has been 11 © Getty Images Enlarge

Jimmy Neesham has faced a dip in batting form since New Zealand's tour to the West Indies earlier this year. He made 16 and 10 in the ODIs against South Africa in October and his highest score on this tour has been 17. Ross Taylor's century carried New Zealand in the last game but if the top order fails, runs from Neesham will be crucial.

Pakistan experimented with Sarfraz Ahmed's batting order in the first ODI, pushing him down to No. 7. He scored only 26 but his resourceful innings revived a flagging chase, and provided Haris Sohail and Shahid Afridi the launching pad for their match-winning stand. He could return to the top order after Hafeez leaves the squad but for this game, Pakistan could look at keeping his batting position flexible.

Team news

Martin Guptill missed the first game due to a hamstring niggle while Corey Anderson was rested as a precautionary measure after being hit on the helmet during the first T20. Their fitness will be assessed on the morning of the game.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Anton Devcich, 2 Dean Brownlie, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Adam Milne/Matt Henry

Pakistan are likely to opt for an unchanged XI but if they do change their XI, it could be in the bowling line-up with Sohail Tanvir possibly coming in in place of Umar Gul.

Pakistan 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Haris Sohail, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Pitch and conditions

The Sharjah pitch is known for high scores but during the last game that Pakistan played there - against Australia in October - it also offered help for the spinners. Williamson said that the track during the Test series was devoid of grass but had more pace and bounce than the other venues. Teams winning the toss and batting have won 66 of the 125 matches played at the venue.

Stats & trivia

• New Zealand's highest opening stand in 11 ODIs in 2014 is 56 - between Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder against West Indies in January 2014. New Zealand's opening batsmen have had only two half-century stands in 2014 compared to Pakistan, who have had five, including a century partnership
• The most successful chase at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium was the 285 for 4 by West Indies against Pakistan, way back in November 1993
• Pakistan and New Zealand have played ten ODIs in Sharjah, with Pakistan winning all ten. Pakistan have not won more than five ODIs against New Zealand at any other venue.

Quotes

"Given the conditions our fast bowlers did well in the first game despite little support from the pitch, and I hope they continue to bowl like that."
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq

"There will be some good memories for some of the lads, but it is important we focus on what lies in front of us and the Pakistan side is quite different as well, so all those challenges need to be considered."
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on the influence of the Sharjah Test on the current side

Pakistan have the potential to win World Cup, says Waqar

SHARJAH: Pakistan team head coach Waqar Younis has high hopes for the 2015 World Cup, saying the green-shirts have all it needs to win the extravaganza.

“We are all excited about the mega event as it is the game’s top event and everyone has their eyes on the trophy so why not us? We are trying to take this belief in the dressing room. We have the potential, we have the talent and the skills; it’s just about putting it all together and coping with the pressure,” Waqar said in an interview.
Pakistan beat New Zealand by three wickets in the opener of the five-match ODI series in Dubai last Monday.
The second ODI will be played in Sharjah on Friday.
“We were very lucky in the 1990s when we had Shoaib Akhtar bowling and later on, also to some extent Umar Gul who was also bowling fast,” Waqar added.
“In recent times, we have Wahab Riaz who bowls briskly but as I said, you have to be disciplined. You cannot go out there and try and bowl 150kph and go all over the place as control is crucial,” Waqar, a veteran of 87 Tests and 262 ODIs, underlined.

Speaking about tall pacer Mohammad Irfan, Waqar said with a 7’1” height, the bowler has the ability to deliver some unplayable deliveries and the prospect of this bowler helping Pakistan to glory in the upcoming 2015 World Cup has not escaped the attention of the Pakistan team management.
“Irfan is 7’ 1” and it is very easy to break down when you are that tall and with his structure,” Waqar said adding the World Cup is around the corner and Irfan has the X-factor that Pakistan need in him.
“The cricketers who played cricket during the 1990s should come forward and help Pakistan cricket come up and improve its standing,” urged Waqar.
“It is great that Moin Khan is around with Mushtaq Ahmed, Ijaz Ahmed and Mohammad Akram. They understand the demands of modern game and can help the Pakistan team reach its full potential,” Waqar stated.

afridi and haris left a win for pak

Pakistan 250 for 7 (Haris 85*, Afridi 61) beat New Zealand 246 for 7 (Taylor 105*, Irfan 3-57) by three wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Video report - Pakistan clinch three-wicket win

Half-centuries from Haris Sohail and an unexpectedly restrained Shahid Afridi revived a floundering chase as Pakistan won a thrilling first ODI by three wickets. New Zealand, having hauled themselves out of a mire of their own thanks to a century from Ross Taylor, were running away with the game at the three-quarter mark, but Haris and Afridi snatched it away with breathtaking coolness. Haris finished on an unbeaten 85, to go with 10 tight overs of left-arm spin earlier in the day.

When Afridi walked in to bat, Pakistan were six down, and needed 123 off 122 balls. The left-handed Haris was batting on 34, and had played a couple of lovely lofted drives against the spinners in a fighting innings that seemed destined to go down as a small positive in a big defeat. That's all it would have been if Afridi had made a typically harebrained 15 or 20 at the other end.

But Afridi knuckled down, and brought out his first slog only 21 balls into his innings. By then, he had picked up boundaries with a screaming drive over extra cover and a crafty dab behind the wicket, but had otherwise simply knocked the ball around for ones and twos. That first slog produced a thick edge to the third man boundary. The next slog came when he was on 30. He swung and missed and the ball was wide of off stump.

Feeding off a senior partner who was batting like one, Haris grew in confidence and reached his half-century with a glance off his hips. The runs kept flowing, and the decades rolled away from the equation. When Pakistan needed 40 off 30, Haris smacked James Neesham over mid-off. With 27 required from 19, Afridi launched Kyle Mills over long-on. Taylor kept New Zealand in the game, running out Afridi with a direct hit when 13 were still required, but Wahab Riaz kept his cool at No. 8 to see Pakistan home with three balls remaining.

Three consecutive hundreds in ODIs Quinton de Kock (2013): 135 (v India), 106 (v India), 101 (v India) AB de Villiers (2010): 114* (v India), 102* (v India), 102 (v West Indies) Herschelle Gibbs (2002): 116 (v Kenya), 116* (v India), 153 (v Bangladesh) Saeed Anwar (1993): 107 (v Sri Lanka), 131 (v West Indies), 111 (v Sri Lanka) Zaheer Abbas (1982-83): 118 (v India), 105 (v India), 113 (v India) Ross Taylor (2014): 112* (v India), 102 (v India), 105* (v Pakistan)

Pakistan had left out Umar Akmal, and the lack of urgency in their new-look top six - among whom Younis Khan boasted the highest strike rate, 75.33 - was shown up as they began their chase of 247. Never the most confident chasers, Pakistan lacked thrust at the top of the order, particularly with Sarfraz Ahmed batting at No. 7. The runs came at a trickle, and scoreboard pressure produced wickets. By the 18th over, they were 52 for 4.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Haris then added 34 in 48 balls - which was relatively brisk going, considering the pace of the innings till then - before Vettori sent back Misbah with a blinding one-handed grab at mid-on.

Sarfraz sparkled with positivity during his brief stint at the crease, his strokes finding hitherto unexplored parts of the ground and causing the team management, possibly, to wonder if his inventiveness would have been better served up the order. When he holed out to long-on in the 31st over, Pakistan were 124 for 5 and it looked like the game was up.

Sent in to bat, New Zealand had been in a similar situation - 111 for 5 in the 29th over - before Taylor rallied the lower-order to steer them to 246. Taylor last played an ODI back in January against India, but showed no signs of having been away, extending his form from that series to complete his third hundred on the bounce in the format.

The single that took Taylor to 100 caused him considerable pain, a lifter from Riaz in the final over catching him on his right thumb and going on to strike him on the neck. By then, though, he had ensured - via lower-order partnerships with Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum - that New Zealand would set Pakistan a challenging target. At 111 for 5 in the 29th over, they had seemed in danger of falling short of 200.

With Mohammad Hafeez banned from bowling, there was serious doubt over how Pakistan would fill their fifth-bowler quota. Their five specialist batsmen apart from Hafeez had taken a combined haul of three ODI wickets.

It was a hole New Zealand might have looked to target when they were sent in to bat, but by the time Haris came on to bowl his left-arm spin, they were in no position to go after him, having lost two wickets to Mohammad Irfan in their first 11 overs.

Haris almost had Anton Devcich stumped with his second ball, with only a faint deflection off the pad causing the ball to elude Sarfraz's gloves behind the wicket. Haris kept finding sharp, if slowish, turn off the dry Dubai surface, and bowled with enough control to fulfill the fifth bowler's quota all by himself, and all in one spell, finishing with figures of 10-0-39-0.

By that time, New Zealand had lost three more wickets, and Taylor was waging a lone fight. Apart from a couple of thrillingly precise cuts off Afridi, he was batting in risk-free fashion, knocking the spinners for singles down the ground and either side of sweeper cover. He needed help.

He got that from Ronchi and Vettori, with whom he put on 44 and 58 for the sixth and seventh wickets. Having receded into the background during his partnership with Ronchi, Taylor's scoring went up a gear during the last 10 overs. When Umar Gul dug one in short in the 44th over, he swatted him away over the midwicket boundary. Given width four balls later, he slapped Gul away through the covers.

The 200 came up in the next over, and Vettori swung Riaz away for fours off the first two balls of the 46th, before he walked too far across his stumps to a yorker. With McCullum and Taylor adding a further 33, New Zealand ended up taking 78 from the last 10 overs.
pakistan

pak nz early momentum before world cup 2015

worldcup 2015

Big picture

Monday's game against New Zealand will be the first ODI Pakistan will play since their one-run defeat to Australia in Abu Dhabi in October, a loss that exposed their brittle batting and a sense of uncertainty in their leadership.

The leadership question was resolved by Misbah-ul-Haq's return to form in the Tests against Australia and the team's dominant victories. The question of their batting strength, however, was raised again in the second T20 against New Zealand, where Pakistan failed to chase down 145 on a slow track in Dubai.

Unlike New Zealand, who have another home series against Sri Lanka, this five-match ODI series will be the best chance Pakistan have to complete their team combination jigsaw. Younis Khan was recalled to the ODI side on the back of a stupendous run of form in the Tests and Pakistan will need more of that in the series. Their attack has been boosted by the return of Umar Gul, but with Mohammad Hafeez suspended from bowling and restricted to playing as a specialist batsman, Pakistan will need to work out their bowling combination with a focus on spin.

Between Monday's game and the World Cup, New Zealand will play 14 ODIs, of which nine will be at home. Kane Williamson has already stressed that his side is keen on gaining experience, especially match awareness in different situations.

Twice already on the tour, New Zealand have fought from being a game down to drawing level in the series. Having got accustomed to the pitches in the UAE, they will be looking at grabbing a lead in the ODI series, building on the momentum from their T20 win.

Form guide

(most recent first, completed matches only)
Pakistan LLLLLL
New Zealand LLWWT

	Ross Taylor will play his first ODI since January 2014 © Getty Images Enlarge

In the spotlight

Since the ODIs against India in January 2014, New Zealand have played just one series - against South Africa in October. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor missed it due to injuries and will aim to get their World Cup preparations underway in earnest. Both batsmen have already scored centuries on this tour. Williamson's 192 in the Sharjah Test was pivotal to the side's series-levelling win while Taylor had scored a vital hundred in the drawn Dubai Test.

After he was reported for a suspect action, Mohammad Hafeez had said that he did not rate himself as a bowler and was focused on his career as an international batsman. His suspension as a bowler, though, could affect Pakistan's preparations for the World Cup, according to team manager Moin Khan, and there will be some scrutiny on Hafeez as he walks out to bat. His recent form has been good with a couple of hundreds against New Zealand in the Tests.

Team news

Umar Gul took 2 for 24 on his return to international cricket in the second T20 and could play his first ODI since March 2014.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk) , 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Martin Guptill has been ruled out of the match due to a hamstring niggle which also kept him out of the second T20. New Zealand have not yet taken a call on Corey Anderson's selection, after the allrounder was struck on the helmet during the first T20.

New Zealand (probable) 1 Anton Devcich, 2 Kane Williamson (capt), 3 Dean Brownlie, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 James Neesham, 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Adam Milne/Nathan McCullum, 10 and 11 Matt Henry/Kyle Mills/Mitchell McClenaghan

Pitch and conditions

The ODI series will start at the venue of the two T20s. The surface for the second game on Friday was slower but the surface for the ODIs could end up being more batting-friendly. Dew was not much of an issue during the second T20.

Stats and trivia

• The last time Pakistan suffered five or more successive ODI defeats was between November 2009 and June 2010, when they lost nine games on the trot
• New Zealand have won 10 out of 32 games they have played in the UAE. All but three of the games were played in Sharjah.
• The last ODI between the two sides was played during the 2011 World Cup. Ross Taylor's unbeaten century helped set up a 110-run win for New Zealand in the game in Pallekele

Quotes

"The thinking is that now that we have him here, we give him full confidence, because even as a senior you require backing."
Misbah-ul-Haq on how Pakistan will handle Younis Khan, who had lashed out at the selectors after being dropped for the Australia ODIs

"It's not so much an audition, it's very much about workloads as well. There's so much cricket before the World Cup so we're very conscious of that but we also want to put out our strongest side."
Kane Williamson talks up the big picture for New Zealand

worldcup 2015 .

misbah wants confidant pakistan

Pakistan have seven ODIs against New Zealand to firm up their planning for the World Cup, five of which will be played first in the UAE from December 8. And for Misbah-ul-Haq, the one-day captain, the lead-up period is all about "building confidence".

"It is the last chance for us to just look into the things, how we are going into the World Cup," Misbah said. "So everybody will be focussed and everybody just wants to put up a good show. I always believe that confidence is the main thing."

Younis Khan is one of those who received his captain's support, as he makes a return to the ODI side yet again. Younis was left out for the series against Australia, but a total of 717 runs in five Tests since could not be ignored.

"The thinking is that now that we have him here, we give him full confidence, because even as a senior you require the backing," Misbah said. "It is not right to tell him that you are playing on a trial basis. We will try that.... the way his role is, the way his performances have been, the way his form is... We will try to support him fully because he can play in a relaxed fashion. In this situation he can play a very good role for the side.

"I think he is in good touch, the way he played in the last two Test series. So, he is in good shape. That's going to really help him. [It] doesn't matter that he is playing in a one-day competition because he played on those same surfaces against top-quality bowlers and performed well."

Besides contributions with the bat, Misbah is banking on Younis' experience to help the younger players through the series.

	Misbah-ul-Haq is banking on Mohammad Irfan to make an impact in the World Cup © Getty Images Enlarge

"I think he has seen enough, he is experienced enough to handle those sort of conditions," Misbah said. "It is always important because these kind of players, they are experienced, they know the situations of the game, they can handle those situations and whenever these sort of players are in, you can just say that 'okay they are going to win the game for you'. He is going help other youngsters on how to just go about the game. So, it's really important for us."

The other player receiving a lot of support from Misbah is Mohammad Irfan, who could be the team's X-factor at the World Cup with the bounce he generates.

"We just [want] to give him enough practice, just [want] to give him enough confidence to play the games and also just to protect him for the World Cup, because we don't want to lose him," Misbah said. "He will have a tremendous impact in the World Cup. In Australia he could really make a difference. So we will have to use him quite sensibly and that's what we are trying to do."

There has been some criticism about the way Irfan has been handled by the Pakistan thinktank. There appeared to be a strategy of wrapping the fast bowler in cotton wool to prevent him from breaking down, but Misbah was conscious of dispelling that notion.

"I think we don't protect him just for the sake of it. I think the media highlights this quite unfairly," Misbah said, "When he doesn't play the media says, 'you don't play him', if we play him and something happens, they say 'see what kind of people are there in the thinktank, they don't know how to protect Irfan'.

"People are working with Irfan. He has changed a lot. Look at his fitness, specially his physique, his structure, a lot of work has happened. His fitness has improved tremendously.

"It is not that we bench him always, because if we don't play him there is no gain," Misbah said, "But at the same time, we want to ensure that we don't put so much load that he becomes unfit like before. Obviously, teams plan for four years for a World Cup, so keeping that in mind, we do think about protecting him. After the World Cup, its a different scenario, even if he was to play continuously, it is not that big an issue."

Pakistan's other major issue is Saeed Ajmal's suspension for an illegal bowling action. Mohammad Hafeez has also been under scrutiny, but Misbah hoped both of them would be available for the World Cup.

"We now have a chance to let the bowlers take the responsibility and the burden that Saeed endured for the last three-four years," Misbah said. "In the two-three series that we have played without him, especially the last series, bowlers have started understanding their responsibility in difficult situations, powerplay overs or the end overs."

"I am always positive about Saeed's return, just looking at the way he has worked hard and looking at his confidence. I have all the good wishes for him to come back strongly at the earliest. We are hopeful that Hafeez's action will also be free from any questions soon. But if that was not the case, then it will affect the team balance."

pak odi squad against nz

The 16-member ODI squad (in alphabetical order):

1. Mohammad Hafeez
2. Ahmed Shehzad
3. Asad Shafiq
4. Bilawal Bhatti
5. Haris Sohail
6. Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain)
7. Mohammad Irfan
8. Nasir Jamshed
9. Sarfraz Ahmad (wicket-keeper)
10. Shahid Afridi

11. Sohail Tanvir
12. Umar Akmal
13. Umar Gul
14. Wahab Riaz
15. Younis Khan
16. Zulfiqar Babar
Moin Khan Quotes:
“I expect Team Pakistan to perform to its potential in both the T20Is and ODIs.
“This is our final opportunity to test all our potential players before the ICC World Cup 2015.
“That is why we have tried to induct all our fit players in contention for a slot. This is also pretty much the last opportunity for the players to perform and cement their places in the World Cup squad
“Both the squads are well-balanced, with a decent blend of in-form batsmen and good all-rounders, with the bowling attack a potent mix of pace and spin combinations.
“Quite a few players have been included either after returning from injury or on the basis of current form.

“In the ODI squad, Younis Khan has been recalled for the ODI squad due to his sparkling form. Similarly, Sarfraz Ahmed is featuring in a T20I for the first time. Young and promising Haris Sohail is also part of both squads, while Sohaib Maqsood was not considered on fitness grounds.
“Among our pace bowlers, Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul are making comebacks from injury to make the pace attack more potent.”

t20 series end in draw pak lost 2nd t20 by 17 runs

#pakvsnz t20 series end in draw both team won 1,1 match .1st match won by pakistan by 7 wickets and 2nd match won by newzeland by 17 runs and series end in draw

Like the Test series that preceded the Twenty20 games, New Zealand forged a comeback to beat Pakistan by 17 runs in Dubai to square the two-match series 1-1. A chase of 145 proved challenging on a slow pitch and New Zealand's slower bowlers made use of the conditions and relatively little dew to keep a tight grip on the chase.

Despite the early wickets, the result of Man-of-the-Match Anton Devcich's surprise spell at the top of the innings, Pakistan were in the game. The New Zealand bowlers had squeezed the equation down to 54 off the last five overs but with Shahid Afridi at the crease, Pakistan had more than a whiff of a chance. That chance evaporated in the 18th over, one of the worst of the innings, as Afridi was caught behind off a pull shot, after having smacked the previous ball bowled by a nervous James Neesham for a six.

Devcich opened the bowling for the first time in T20s and set up New Zealand's good start with the wickets of Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Hafeez. Sarfraz's lbw was a doubtful decision, whereas Hafeez lobbed a return catch off a straight length ball.

Even at 24 for 3 in the fifth over, Pakistan's chase had not disintegrated. Ahmed Shehzad, playing his first game since a skull fracture, anchored the innings with a 40-run stand with Saad Nasim.

	Anton Devcich won the Man of the Match award for his 21 and 2 for 16 © AFP Enlarge

Nasim's dismissal though instigated a stutter. Vettori, playing his first T20 international since 2012, dismissed Shehzad for 33. Umar Akmal, Anwar Ali and Afridi fell in the next three overs and the match ended in the 19th. The wickets were neatly divided between the New Zealand bowlers - Devcich broke the top order finishing with 2 for 16, Neesham's 3 for 25 scooped out the middle-order and Kyle Mills then cleaned up the tail.

Both sides had gone into the game with a few changes. Pakistan brought back Shehzad and Gul in place of Awais Zia and Mohammad Irfan. New Zealand's changes were also forced by fitness concerns. A tight hamstring kept Martin Guptill out, while Corey Anderson was rested as a precaution after being hit on the helmet during the first T20. Dean Brownlie and Tom Latham were brought in their place and Kane Williamson had hoped that the depth in batting could help the side do better than the 135 they managed in the first game. They did, but only barely.

Williamson and Devcich did their job at the start of the innings, sharing a solid 49-run stand in seven overs. Williamson led the way, with pleasing footwork, especially against Gul, during his 32. After the Powerplay though, things went downhill. Hafeez added another left-handed batsman to his tally with Devcich's dismissal, Afridi got Brownlie and Williamson in successive overs which left Latham and Ross Taylor having to start all over again.

Taylor fell in the 13th over and the revival New Zealand needed, although a brief one, came in the form of a lively stand between Latham and Luke Ronchi, the latter reprising his rescue-act role from the first match. Their 38-run stand came off 23 deliveries courtesy Latham's sweeps and two towering, successive sixes from Ronchi.

Both players fell in successive overs towards the end of the innings, but their stand had done enough to help New Zealand put together 51 runs in the last five overs and their pace eventually made the difference.