Any hope of Pakistan measuring strength with India on equal terms in the upcoming series evaporated when their batsmen gave an insipid and inane performance and capitulated to the New Zealand outfit at Napier by eight wickets to hand over the series to them on a silver platter.
The humiliation came in just 36 overs when Shoaib Akhtar had exhibited to the audience that there was nothing nasty or devilish in the wicket and by using correct method and quick foot work the New Zealand bowlers could have been hit. With Sami giving him able support, Akhtar, having a brawny physique, wielded the long handle to take the team beyond three figures which at one time looked doubtful for from 87 at the fall of the ninth wicket the score showed respectability, having reached 126, still the second lowest for Pakistan against New Zealand, which is 116.
The pitch may have been playing tricks in the morning. Yet a team, which was white washed 5-0 on the Pakistan venues, could have been properly tackled with sensible judgment and tough nerves. Woefully inadequate skill and lack of purpose and concentration allowed the New Zealand pacers to get on top of the Pakistani batsmen. Where on earth was a straight bat countering the rearing ball or a loose delivery been driven for runs on this agonising day.
The New Zealanders finished their job in 22.5 overs on a strip that turned easy and a batsman's heaven by now. Stephen Fleming, the Kiwi captain, showed the way to hit the ball and Craig Cumming, having a lean time, too got into runs.
The fifth one-dayer has become move or less a ritual now that the rubber has been won by the home side. What a disastrous ending for the Pakistani tour of New Zealand before the coming of the Indians, who are pushing the Australians to the wall on their own venues.
It was a poor one-day series for captain Inzamam-ul-Haq for as a batsman his performance was much below par. Is he going to improve before the next international battle?
The squad needs restructuring. For how long Saqlain Mushtaq, the classical off-spinner, be sidelined? When the time would come to recall Imran and Shahid Afridi. Let the cricket officialdom take these important decisions instead of holding seminars on domestic cricket format. It is an incredibly trying time for Pakistan cricket.
Third match: An unconvincing performance by pacers Mohammad Sami and Shoaib Akhtar in the third tie must have disappointed the followers of the game and supporters of Pakistan at a stage when India, their rivals after two months in Tests and one-dayers, are pushing Australia to the wall.
The presence of the 'Rawalpindi Express' had boosted the morale of the visiting outfit. Yet the deliveries of the two match winners were more often than not so wayward that they were slammed easefully to the boundaries. There were so many long-hops that even an amateurish batsman would have struck them with assurance. Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain and a sound batsman, was comfortably making half-volleys of the loose balls. Why was not the arts of length and variation of pace demonstrated by Sami and Shoaib, presently reckoned as the bowler sending the fastest and most ferocious thunderbolts to strain the nerves of the technically organised batsmen? Shoaib's fitness and return to the fold of Pakistan team had made the visiting players happy for he was supposed to scatter the Kiwiland wickets with his vicious speed and control of action. Why did he bowl so badly? Agreed that the strip was flat; it was a batsman's paradise, yet his inimical and antagonistic attack could have shattered the New Zealanders with the deliveries pitching between leg and middle or between off and middle. The batsmen would have become confused and he would have devoured them. What can the scribes say about the lapses committed by Shoaib Akhtar and Sami, not so destructive as the former?
Pakistan's stumble in the third limited-over encounter was not entirely due to failure of the key pace bowlers, the batsmen too failed to live up to the expectations of the fans and officials present in Christchurch, Lahore and Karachi, which is now the headquarters of the new PCB chief.
Captain Inzamamul Haq was out for a duck, missing were the beautiful hits from Imran Farhat's bat, Shoaib Malik returned before he could get a chance to open out. Azhar Mahmood joined in the onslaught of Razzaq but was run out before he could contribute much to the score of his squad.
Saleem Elahi made 80 but played a slow knock. Razzaq's bat cracked and flashed, thrilling the imagination of the spectators. This was a time when it appeared that Pakistan will not be able to cross 200. He drove and cut with speed, ease and brilliance that showed to the other members of the team how batting is done in one-day duels. The atmosphere had become electrical while Razzaq was showing his hits.
The 255 of Pakistan proved a moderate score when Hamish Marshall and Fleming started caning the Pakistani bowlers. The wheel of the match was swinging towards New Zealand even after Marshall was caught by Sami off Shoaib Malik at 158 for Fleming was in full and happy flow. Ultimately it was Fleming who reached his fifth one-day hundred and hit the winning boundary in his excellent style.
Pakistan were shaken in the first nascent match at Auckland when their batsmen put up a modest score of 229 and went to the field without the injured Shoaib Akhtar. When Scott Styris got going with his aggressive strokes and was untroubled by the Pakistan attack the result was luridly on the wall. Styris's unbeaten hundred (101) sealed the fate of the match in favour of the home side who took a 1-0 lead. Their tails were up when they went to the second one-dayer at Queenstown.
Moin Khan batted well enough for an undefeated 72 but 229 is a meager total in a one-dayer considering that the wicket was a featherbed and Pakistan had no high-class spinner.
Both Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood helped Moin in the run spree as 102 runs were struck in the last 10 overs average in 10.2.
Pakistan had levelled the series 1-1 by snatching victory at Queenstown in the second encounter. Imran Farhat and Yousuf Youhana made several worthy and handsome hits to the jubilation of Pakistani supporters in the pavilion and at home, seeing the match live on TV much after having taken their breakfast. If Farhat displayed fascination in his strokeplay there were precision and offence in the drives of Youhana. Following the loss of two Wickets - Yasir Hameed and Saleem Elahi - Pakistan's knock found comfortable waters, both Youhana and Farhat making quality strokes and playing with assurance Youhana, 88 not out, duly earned the Man of the Match award and helped Pakistan to a six-wicket success.
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