Selection flaws prove costly as Pakistan lose in second ODI

Abu Dhabi: Inconsistency always rears its ugly head when Pakistan play. However, what must have rankled their supporters at the packed Zayed Cricket Stadium here and millions back home in the team's 64-run loss on Friday to New Zealand are some logic-defying moves by the team's management.

After a brilliant 138-run win over the Kiwis on Tuesday, Pakistan were anything but confident as they succumbed to the brilliance of a Brendon McCullum century and some fantastic fielding by the Kiwis.

Behind that loss, which now sets up the final match in the three-ODI Cool & Cool Cup series, the external pulls and pressure from outside on team were clearly evident.

In reply to a question from Gulf News on why Tuesday's winning combination was disturbed with former captain Shoaib Malek replacing young Umar Akmal, coach Intikhab Alam said: "Actually we did not drop Malek for the first match. He was ‘rested'. We brought him back into the team. It was one of those things!"

Outcry

When Malek was dropped there was outcry back home, even though it was apparent that Pakistan were trying out a regular opening pair in Salman Butt and Khalid Latif.

Friday's dropping of the younger of the Akmal brothers was more vehemently slammed by some former Pakistan captains.

If that was not a good start to the day, Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal were both promoted out of turn and the heroes of that opening match win were dismissed for 0 and 4 respectively to virtually end Pakistan's quest for victory.

"It was my decision to send them ahead as I thought a quick 30 or 40 [would] help the team's cause," said Alam, despite the fact that Afridi and Akmal had performed rather brilliantly in a much worse situation in a previous match.

When Afridi came in yesterday at two-down ahead of Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malek, Pakistan were 124 for 2 in 27.2 overs.

The same Afridi had in the first match turned match-winner when he lifted Pakistan from a precarious 75 for 4 in the 24th over to slam 70 while Kamran Akmal scored a breezy 67 later in the day.

Skipper Younus Khan skipped the post-match conference. With his woeful form adding to the pressure, Khan will now have to regroup and reinvent.

The only bright spot was that Pakistan seemed to have found a regular opening pair in Butt and Latif.

However, the challenges that the team faces look set to continue, thus selecting the line-up for Monday's decider will be tricky.

"It was a bad day… we did not bowl well or field well," said Alam. He said the team would have to do much more than merely bat and field well if they were to placate the fans back here and back home.

Scoreboard

New Zealand

B. McCullum b Gul 131

A. Redmond c Younus b Aamer 6

M. Guptill c Aamer b Razzaq 62

R. Taylor b Afridi 0

S. Styris run out 9

D. Vettori c Akmal b Razzaq 30

N. Broom lbw Afridi 0

J. Oram not out 33

K. Mills c Latif b Gul 4

S. Bond not out 10

Extras: (b-1, lb-11, w-3, nb-3) 18

Total: (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 303

Fall of wkts: 1-21, 2-147, 3-147, 4-160, 5-214, 6-218, 7-274, 8-287,

Bowling: Aamer 10-0-64-1 (nb-3, w-1), Gul 10-0-59-2, Razzaq 10-0-60-2, Ajmal 10-0-59-0 (w-1), Afridi 10-0-49-2 (w-1)

Pakistan:

S. Butt run out 59

K. Latif lbw Vettori 45

Y. Khan c Taylor b Styris 19

S. Afridi c Taylor b Styris 0

K. Akmal c Guptill b Styris 4

M. Yousuf lbw Vettori 18

S. Malik c Southee b Mills 26

A. Razzaq c Guptill b Southee 35

U. Gul c Oram b Mills 4

M. Aamer c Guptill b Bond 12

S. Ajmal not out 3

Extras (b-2, lb-3, w-8, nb-1) 14

Total (all out, 47.2 overs) 239

Fall of wkts: 1-77, 2-124, 3-125, 4-133, 5-134, 6-158, 7-194, 8-209, 9-231,

Bowling: Mills 10-1-57-2 (nb-1, w-3), Bond 9.2-1-43-1, Southee 8-0-48-1 (w-3), Oram 6-0-26-0, Vettori 10-0-37-2, Styris 4-0-23-3 (w-2)