We Will Play ‘Hard Cricket’

ABU DHABI — Smarting under a huge defeat, Champions Trophy runners-up New Zealand are looking to bounce back to stay in the series against Pakistan when the second One Day International of the three-match Cool and Cool Cup series is played out at the Shaikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The Kiwis lost the first One Day International by 138 runs after having Pakistan on the mat earlier in the afternoon. Pakistan had the worst possible start, losing two wickets for nought but they recovered well to post a competitive 287. Shahid Afridi top scored with 70 from 50 balls with four boundaries and three sixes, while Kamran Akmal made 67 from 43 balls with five boundaries and four sixes. Opener Khalid Latif scored a responsible 64 from 112 balls.

In reply, New Zealand were shot out for 149 in 39.2 overs with Aaron Redmond top scoring with 52, while captain and acting coach Daniel Vettori made 38. Martin Guptill, who scored a century on his ODI debut, smashing an unbeaten 122 against the West Indies earlier in year, said it was a crucial game. “It is a must win game for us. We know that and we will try to achieve that,” Guptill said after the team’s practice session on Thursday afternoon.

Guptill, who is nicknamed ‘Marty Two-Toes,’ said they would play hard cricket to level the three-match series.

“We approach every game the same. We know we must win it. Nothing is going to change and we will go out there and play hard cricket,” said the 23-year-old from Auckland.

Guptill said the hot weather was not a factor in their loss in the first game. “It is warm over here but we got used to it in Sri Lanka and then we came back home. We are used to it now and adapting well to it,” he said.

Guptill, who surpassed former captain Stephen Fleming’s record for the highest individual score by a New Zealand debutant, when he made that unbeaten 122, said that the Kiwis did face some problems with Pakistan’s spin attack. But he promised a better showing on Friday night.

“The spinners tied us down a little bit. We are working on that. We will come out with a better performance on Friday night,” said Guptill, who lost three toes on his feet after a forklift accident, couple of years ago. The teams move to Dubai for the two Twenty20 Internationals after the One Day International Series. The third ODI is on Monday.