Lahore – A poor batting display by Pakistan cost them the match on Sunday. The middle order lost its way after a brisk start and the team could only manage 143-9 which could have been a lot worse had it not been for some late hitting by Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz.
Going into the second T20 game today at Seddon Park, Hamilton, Pakistan need to get their act together in the batting department especially the middle order which fell timidly in the first game.
Pakistan need to build partnerships consistently and avoid losing wickets. The bowlers need to re-adjust their line and bowl in the right areas and adjust to the New Zealand conditions.
The ‘Green Shirts’ are a quality T20 side and they need to believe in themselves and positive results will come. Skipper Shahid Afridi also needs to click with the ball as his bowling lends stability to the team’s overall performance.
With 11 consecutive losses in ODIs, victory by five wickets and with 17 balls to spare was a welcome relief for the hosts. For New Zealand the highlights from game one was the hat trick of Tim Southee who took 5-18 and a rapid fire 54 by opener Martin Guptill.
Black Caps are without star players like Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum but still they gave a good account of themselves on Sunday and would be aiming to continue with the good show and not let the foot off the paddle. “We don’t want to get too carried away, but it’s a good start to the series,” captain Ross Taylor said who expects that Pakistan has the ability to comeback hard. New Zealand will be hoping for all the bowlers to keep up the pressure though Southee-like performances don’t come everyday. Pakistan looked slightly off-colour in the first game but showed some spark to suggest that not only today’s encounter but also the ones in the next few weeks can be interesting ones.
Players to watch: Shoaib Akhtar was the best Pakistani bowler in the first T20 with 3-38. The ageing paceman still gave his everything and bowled up to 149km/h. But he would definitely like to cut down on runs he conceded as he still has some of his oomph which makes him a player to look out for the opposition.
Martin Guptill is clean hitter of the ball and can also hit the ball a good distance. He played good innings of 54 off 29 balls and will once again be the danger man for Pakistan as he will be high on confidence especially after hitting Shoaib Akhtar for some huge sixes.
Head to head and
Conditions: Seddon Park Hamilton has seen some high scoring thrillers in limited overs cricket. However, in a day and night game batting can be a touch tricky in the second innings. A slightly cold day with some chances of rain can also have an effect on the game. Pakistan needs a good result in this game to gain their confidence.
