Afridi, however, maintained that the Napier celebrations should be cut short in order to focus on the rest of the One-Day International (ODI) series. The win put Pakistan 2-1 up in the six-match series with one game abandoned as both sides fine-tune ahead of this month’s World Cup.
All hail Misbah
Set a modest target of 263 to win on a track described by Afridi as “heaven for a batsman” Pakistan appeared to have misjudged their run chase, despite Misbah’s heroics, as the match headed for a tense finish. But tail-ender Sohail Tanvir took control, arriving in the middle with two overs remaining, two wickets left and 13 runs required to secure a slim victory.
Crediting the victory at the jinxed venue to Misbah, where Pakistan had an abysmal record, losing all the previous four matches played, Afridi said, “The way Misbah and Younus Khan took on the responsibility in the middle overs was crucial. It was a great knock from Misbah.”
However, the all-rounder maintained firmly that the upcoming matches are crucial for the team.
“The Napier ODI has become part of history and we are now focusing on winning the fifth ODI to take an unassailable lead in the series.”
NZ batsmen falter
New Zealand batsmen failed on a track where 300 is considered par and it was left to the middle and tail-order to bolster the tally.
After electing to bat first, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori had reason to feel his decision was justified as Martin Guptill (21) and Jamie How (13) raced to 40 in the seventh over.
But the innings soon fell apart in the face of a lethal spell from Wahab Riaz (three for 51) and Abdul Razzaq (one for 16). In the space of two overs New Zealand lost three wickets for four runs.
“We were 40 short on a very good deck,” said Vettori. “Lack of resources, lack of runs plagued us.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistan captain was full of praise for his bowlers who restricted the hosts to a tractable target.
“Credit goes to the bowlers as well, keeping things quiet with the new ball on this great batting track,” he said.
Misbah, the man of the match, crafted a careful 93 and masterminded the victory. He put on 89 with Khan (42) for the fourth wicket and supported Tanvir to seal the final outcome.
“Things have worked well for me in recent times,” said Misbah. “I enjoyed batting on this wicket and playing with Younus. The teamwork is coming through – the skipper is doing very well. We have a good vibe leading to the World Cup.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2011.
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