KARACHI: A series-winning triumph against New Zealand can help Pakistan reclaim the No. 1 Test ranking and that fact is spurring the tourists as they take on the hosts in the series opener in Christchurch on Thursday (today).
If India fall in their ongoing home series against England, Pakistan have an opportunity to regain the pole position from their arch-rivals.
“Always the No. 1 ranking is a big motivation. If you play any sport, you want to be the best. That’s what we are looking forward to. That said, we need to improve ourselves every game. Every series and game becomes important for us. Looking forward to playing well in this series and in Australia,” Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s Test captain, said in Christchurch on Wednesday.
New Zealand’s recent track record in Tests is below-par and they will be taking on the Pakistanis after suffering a 3-0 drubbing in India.
Misbah said that his team was ready for an all out attack on the Black Caps.
“If you see, after the Indian tour, most of the Kiwi batsmen have been struggling and short of confidence,” he said. “I know this is their own territory and they’ll be confident playing here, but as a batsman, and a cricketer, confidence can play a big role. Being short of confidence - we’ll look forward to exploiting that.”
Misbah believes that the biggest challenge for Pakistan, who play most of their cricket in the UAE, will be to adapt to New Zealand’s conditions.
“If you look at the UAE conditions and New Zealand conditions, these are totally different,” he said. “That’s the biggest challenge for us, especially for our batting. Most of our players have been to New Zealand before, and they know how these conditions can be different from what we are used to. We need to make sure that we bat with discipline and put good scores on the board. Our bowling is very much capable of performing well in any sort of conditions.”
Pakistan’s only warm-up match – a three-dayer in Nelson – was a complete washout which means that they will go into the opening Test without any decent practice. But Misbah believes that Pakistan’s challenging series in England last summer will help them in New Zealand.
“The England series was a tough series for us. That experience will really help us here, because of the confidence we gained from that. The players are up for this challenge, and we can prove ourselves here also. We need to learn some things from that tour - those conditions, and how we go about business. How we’ve batted, how our disciplines are, and how we’ve bowled.”
Agencies add: Pakistan and New Zealand both claimed the high ground on the eve of the first Test, with the Black Caps drawing inspiration from Brendon McCullum’s classic farewell innings.
Just days after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake rattled the city and devastated parts of the South Island, Misbah looked to cash in on a perceived lack of confidence in the New Zealand ranks after their disastrous tour of India, where they suffered a series whitewash.
But although Pakistan are on a high after crushing the West Indies last month, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson claimed his side was rejuvenated by returning to home conditions and familiar seamer-friendly wickets.
After being flummoxed by Indian spin in all three Tests in October, Williamson said New Zealand’s challenge was to pick themselves up.
“It’s important when you come off the back of that India tour, which was extremely tough, that we still come back here and play with freedom, express our skills. When we do we play our best cricket,” he said.
“There will be a little bit of movement for the seam bowlers but we’ve played in these conditions a lot and certainly back ourselves to play positively.”
When New Zealand last played at Hagley Oval, former skipper McCullum smashed a world record 54-ball century against Australia in a brutal onslaught that produced 145 runs off 79 deliveries.
Williamson scored seven off 69 in the same innings.
“Brendon was the complete opposite. It was a great example of someone playing with freedom and I think that came come from the confidence of knowing your own conditions,” he said.
New Zealand, who have not won a series against Pakistan since 1985, will delay finalising their side as late as possible although it has been confirmed opener Jeet Raval will make his debut.
One of four pace bowlers in the squad is likely to be omitted to make room for leg-spinner Todd Astle.
Pakistan have their own motivation, having lost their top world ranking and Misbah said they were keen to get it back and despite New Zealand pitches not being renowned for taking turn, his ace remained spinner Yasir Shah.
Yasir, with 116 wickets at 27.04 from 19 Tests “can get something out of any conditions.” Misbah said.
“It’s all about building pressure, bowling in the right areas, playing with the mind of the batsman,” he added.
“Regardless of the conditions, you can be effective and good bowlers always learn ways to get people and I believe he is that kind of bowler.”
New Zealand struggled against spin in India where senior batsman Ross Taylor, with a career average of 46.24, could only average less than 15 in six innings.