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| Pakistan seek batting revival |
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
DUNEDIN: Pakistan and New Zealand were casting an anxious eye at their fragile batting lineups on Monday ahead of the first cricket Test here.
The first of three Tests between New Zealand, the seventh ranked team in the world, and their sixth ranked rivals starts on Tuesday (today) as both teams try to overcome leadership upheavals.
Pakistan’s ambitions rest heavily on stand-in captain Yousuf, who boasts a Test average of 54.86 from 82 Tests, and coach Intikhab Alam is looking for greater consistency. “We are an inexperienced side and we need to bat four or five sessions,” he said.
“We have the kind of bowling attack that we can get 20 wickets and this is what you need. “But as far as batting is concerned I think we will have to be very, very careful.” Pakistan’s bowling attack — including Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif — will be a handful for New Zealand’s inexperienced batsmen.
The series, moved from Pakistan due to security concerns following the March attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, will be the first in which a new video referral system using the off-field umpire will be in play.
Unlike earlier trials, each side will only be able to make a maximum of two unsuccessful referrals to the third umpire in each innings if they disagree with the on-field umpire’s decision. Intikhab said he was happy with the new system, while Vettori said he would prefer the number of unsuccessful appeals per innings to be limited to one.
“One (referral) doesn’t allow people just to go upstairs for a bit of a guess,” he said. “Hopefully we can get it where it becomes an instrument to get rid of the bad decisions and nothing more.”
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has also taken over the role of head coach following the sudden departure of Andy Moles last month amid player criticism. Vettori will also have to take a heavy bowling load with his team taking just four bowlers into the Test as they try to bolster their brittle batting lineup.
“Four bowlers means an increased workload for me but I think that’s a good thing,” Vettori said. “We have to be honest and acknowledge our batting hasn’t been as good as we’d like. “We go into a Test match with six batters — their role is to bat, none of them have to worry about bowling.”
The retirement of all-rounder Jacob Oram from Test cricket has left a hole, with likely replacement Grant Elliott unlikely to bowl because of a niggling knee problem. Vettori said he had nothing but respect for Pakistan despite their recent woes, including the decision of captain Younus Khan to drop out of the tour.
“They’re a dangerous side, they’ve got a balanced bowling attack and one of the greatest batsmen of the modern generation in Mohammad Yousuf,” he said. There will be plenty of pressure on fast bowler Shane Bond, who has not played Test cricket for two years due to injuries and his participation last year in the rebel Indian Cricket League.
He is expected to be joined by pace bowlers Chris Martin and Daryl Tuffey, considered likely to get the nod ahead of Iain O’Brien. Bond backed the bowlers to do the necessary damage on what is likely to be a seaming University Oval wicket, but they will need support from the batsmen. “I think if we can get runs on the board then we definitely have the bowling attack to take wickets.”
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ISSN 1563-9479 
