Vettori concedes Afridi, Akmal batting ruined his plans
New Zealand skipper says team gave away too many runs
Abu Dhabi: New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori admitted that Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal prevented them from executing their plans during the first One-day match of the Cool & Cool Cup against Pakistan at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
"We did not execute our plans. We could have done it but Afridi and Akmal played some really good aggressive cricket and posted a good total. On a flat wicket like this my bowlers should have hit the right areas. Unfortunately, we gave away too many runs in the last 12 overs and hence we lost the game," remarked Vettori, who leads a team hit by injuries.
To make it worse, just before the start of the match on Tuesday, two more of his strike bowlers were injured. Kyle Mills is suffering from a sore shoulder and James Franklin is being treated for a stiff back.
"Mills is the No.1 bowler in the game today and he brings quality to our attack. Shane Bond has a lot of control and knows the game pretty well, especially to bowl against aggressive batsmen. Mills and Bond combine very well as a formidable attack. So I am hoping that Mills gets fit for the next game," said Vettori, who lifted New Zealand from 50 for 4 with a 69-run partnership with Aaron Redmond.
"Redmond and I batted planning to chase about 100 runs in the last ten overs as we had the power play up our sleeve. We just lost wickets and there is no way one can win if you lose wickets at crucial stages, he said.
Vettrori praised Afridi, whom he feels has improved as a top-class bowler. "Afridi and [Saeed] Ajmal bowled exceptionally well. It is this combination that is the key to Pakistan's success," he said.
Talking about the next match, Vettori said: "We will have a look at how the wicket plays and understand what is a defendable total. We need to play well in the next game. It is important to win to keep the series alive."
To a query as to why his bowlers gave away too many runs in the last 12 overs, Vettori, who is also playing the role of a coach in the absence of Andy Mole, who resigned before the start of the series, said: "All I can tell my bowlers is to bowl to the field. You have to also bowl good yorkers to stop them. Shane [Bond] did that pretty well today".
