Pakistan train hard ahead of series finale

KARACHI: For the second day in a row, Pakistan were made to go through a marathon training session at Wellington’s Basin Reserve as the tourists prepared to stop the New Zealamd juggernaut in their final Twenty20 International here on Friday (tomorrow).

Head coach Waqar Younis, regarded as a hard taskmaster, forced his boys to go through a three-and-a-half-hour-long, full range, intense training session on Wednesday.

According to Agha Akbar, the team’s madia manager, the training session included fielding, batting and bowling at the nets as well as individual training.

Going into their last practice session today (Thursday) morning before Friday’s series decider, the entire Pakistan squad is fit and raring to have a tilt at the challenge of edging out the Black Caps to seal the rubber.

The good news for Pakistan is that Wahab Riaz is fit and should be available for the finale. The left-arm pacer, who suffered from a bruise and some pain after a glancing blow struck his left forearm while batting in the nets on Tuesday, has recovered well almost overnight and in physiotherapist Brad Robinson’s opinion, likely to take the field in Friday’s game.

“On January 19, Wahab Riaz suffered a bruised left forearm after being struck in the nets by a short pitched delivery. The bruise was appropriately managed using ice and compression. Today he successfully completed a full practice session involving fielding and bowling. I am confident he will be fit for selection in the final T20I against New Zealand on Friday,” Robinson said.

Pakistan took the opening game of the series by 16 runs in Auckland, only for their hosts to hit back with a resounding 10-wicket win in Hamilton. Openers Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson shared an unbroken stand of 171—a new record in the shortest format at international level—as the Kiwis stayed alive with an emphatic triumph at Eden Park.

It is expected to be a cool evening in Wellington on Friday. While temperatures are set to be at 17 degrees Celsius, a strong wind will make it feel colder than that.

Shahid Afridi’s side have won only one of their last five T20 games. Another defeat would hardly be ideal preparation ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 championship to be held in India in March, even if they will feel more at home in Indian conditions.

Team management must decide whether to pick an unchanged XI for the third match in a row. After only 18 runs in two knocks, Sohaib Maqsood’s place may be under threat for the game at a ground known as “The Cake Tin.”