Pakistan vs New Zealand 2009

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Pakistan vs New Zealand in UAE 2009 schedule, Kiwis in Abu-Dhabi and Dubai from November 03-13, 2009 and played three One-day international match and two twenty20 games against Pakistan. Read all information about NZ v Pak series schedule.

Fixture



Test Fixtures

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Wright to supervise Kiwis practice

WELLINGTON: New Zealand cricket team will undergo training under the supervision of former coach John Wright ahead of first Test against Pakistan.

Chief executive New Zealand Cricket Justin Vaughn said that Wright would supervise the practice of the Kiwi players before the Test series against Pakistan.

He said that John Wright had also officiated as coach earlier in home series and this impression is wrong that he is being appointed the coach of the New Zealand team.

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New Zealand, Pakistan Test series from Tuesday

DUNEDIN: New Zealand and Pakistan start round two of their disrupted cricket series here Tuesday searching for respectability amid a background of upheaval.

The world''s seventh and sixth ranked sides are two of the sport''s most prominent underachievers, the result of mixing remarkable successes with spectacular collapses.

Both teams enter this three-Test series, following the one-day series in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, wrestling with internal leadership crises and with parallel strengths and weaknesses.

For the first Test starting here on Tuesday, both sides have strong bowling armouries which will relish attacking batting line ups that have struggled in recent series to consistently control the middle for more than four sessions.

New Zealand are without a coach, entrusting both onfield leadership and off-field planning to captain Daniel Vettori after player criticism forced the resignation last month of coach Andy Moles.

Pakistan meanwhile have seen captain Younus Khan drop out of the tour over dissatisfaction with performances in the one-day series in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.

Reports from the subcontinent also indicate coach Intikhab Alam is under pressure with former captain Javed Miandad being tipped as a likely replacement-in-waiting.

The Tests in New Zealand follow the one-day series in the United Arab Emirates which New Zealand won 2-1, and the Twenty20 series won by Pakistan 2-0.

Although officially a Pakistan home series, it was relocated after New Zealand refused to go to Pakistan over security fears after militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore eight months ago.

Even without home track advantage, Pakistan still believe their bowling attack including Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif can make life a misery for New Zealand.

"We have a bowling attack that can get 20 wickets," said coach Intikhab Alam, while conceding that batting "will be a big challenge."

Much will depend on stand-in captain Yousuf Mohammad, who boasts a Test average of 54.86 from 82 tests.

In Pakistan''s one chance to acclimatise in New Zealand, a three-day match against an Invitation XI which ended in a draw, Fawad Alam also showed he was in form with a 77 in their one turn at bat while Imran Farhat made 52.

New Zealand''s inconsistent batting reputation has been further hampered by the loss of Jesse Ryder through injury and Jacob Oram retiring from Test play.

Peter Fulton and Grant Elliott have been recalled to fill the batting void but neither has set the world alight previously.

Fulton, a leading batsman at domestic level in New Zealand, has an average of just 24.72 from 12 Test innings while Elliot has been to the crease five times in Tests for a top score of nine.

Selector Mark Greatbatch said the pair had a simple assignment.

"They''re quite solid sorts of players and maybe that''s the glue we''re looking for to solid up our batting unit in between the quite exciting strokeplay we have," he said.

In last week''s warm-up game opener Tim McIntosh produced an unbeaten 131 and Daniel Flynn posted scores of 49 and 56.

Shane Bond returns from two years in the cricket wilderness to share the new ball with Chris Martin.

Daryl Tuffey, who like Bond has been playing in the renegade Indian Cricket League, is likely to head Iain O''Brien as the third seamer given his record of 24 wickets in six Tests against Pakistan.

Following are the players among two teams’ squads.

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Grant Elliott, Brendon McCullum, Shane Bond, Iain O''Brien, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Martin, Jeetan Patel.

Pakistan: Mohammad Yousuf (captain) Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Abdur Rauf, Umer Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed.

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Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has said the bowler-friendly pitches in the early part of the summer in New Zealand will be one of the biggest challenges for his team during the three Tests, starting November 24. Pakistan set foot in the country having just finished the one-day and Twenty20 leg of the series in in the heat of UAE.

"The fact is we are going to New Zealand when the season has not started there properly and the weather will also be cold," Yousuf told AFP. "I think we are going to encounter seaming wickets and batting on them will be a big challenge for us."

The coach Intikhab Alam concurred with Yousuf and hoped his players will be able to adjust to the conditions. Looking at the composition of the Test squad, Intikhab said the bowlers were capable of taking 20 wickets but the batting needed a bit of attention. A series of batting collapses were primarily responsible for their 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka in August.

"Our batting must click and show improvement because it will be tough to switch from one-day and Twenty20," Intikhab said. "Our bowling has the capacity to bowl New Zealand out twice but we must put runs on the board first."

He expected Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, to be the biggest threat, especially if the pitches suit spin. Vettori has been the team's best all-round player in the recent past and has shouldered plenty of responsibility in all departments.

"Vettori is a seasoned player and we have to play him well, without giving him too many wickets," Intikhab said. "But if New Zealand prepares wickets conducive to spin then we too have quality spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Danish Kaneria."

Pakistan were hit by the sudden withdrawal of Younis Khan, who quit the captaincy and opted out of the tour because he wanted a break from the game. Intikhab and Yousuf agreed that Younis' absence will be felt, despite his run of poor form.

"Naturally, Younis is a senior batsman and although he has been in poor batting form, he is a world-class player who can come good any time, but you miss players through injuries as well and Younis' replacement will have a chance to prove his worth, " Alam said.

The tour begins with a three-day game in Queenstown on Wednesday before the first Test in Dunedin.

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draw hi hona hai match ya har jaeinge

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Pakistan team for 1st Test against NZ named

DUNEDIN: Pakistan have announced their probable for first cricket Test against New Zealand has been named while dope-tainted pacer Mohammad Asif and opening batsman Imran Farhat will return to the Pakistan Test side after over two years, starting on Tuesday in Dunedin.

According to sources in the Pakistan team, the playing XI for the first Test include Asif and Farhat with Salman Butt, middle order batsman Faisal Iqbal and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria certain to be left out.

"Farhat will open with Khurrum Manzoor, while Asif will be paired with Umar Gul and Muhammad Aamer with Saeed Ajmal playing as the spinner in the XI," a team source said.

He said Asif had been impressive in the three-day tour match and also in the nets, which is why he is being included for the first Test.

Asif, who completed a 12-month ban for a doping offence last September and also spent 19 days in detention in Dubai in June 2008 for possession of small quantity of contraband last played a Test against South Africa at Lahore in October 2007.

He made a comeback to the Pakistan one-day squad in the Champions Trophy in September but played just one match against Australia in the tournament and was forced to sit out of the recent one-day series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates because of a ban on travelling to Dubai.

Similarly Farhat''s last Test appearance was against South Africa in January 2007 before he joined the rebel Indian Cricket League and was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board from all cricket.

Sources said his half-century in the three-day tour match won him the comeback, getting the nod over Salman Butt who apparently had some issues with the team management over his batting position.

Surprisingly, the selectors have decided to play Fawad Alam, ahead of experienced Faisal Iqbal, at the crucial number three position left vacant by Younis Khan.

The selectors have also decided to give young batsman Umar Akmal his first Test cap in preference to Faisal Iqbal.

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Pak wins toss to field in 1st Test

DUENDIN: Pakistan have won the toss and they will bowl first in first cricket Test against New Zealand, Geo news reported.

According to details, Daniel Vettori called heads and it landed tails.

Muhammad Yousuf, the Pakistani skipper in the series said, “We understand it''s overcast out there and there''s some grass on the surface. The perfect conditions to unleash our fast bowlers”.

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Pakistan win toss to field in 1st Test

DUENDIN: Pakistan have won the toss and they will bowl first in first cricket Test against New Zealand, Geo news reported.

According to details, Daniel Vettori called heads and it landed tails.

Muhammad Yousuf, the Pakistani skipper in the series said, “We understand it''s overcast out there and there''s some grass on the surface. The perfect conditions to unleash our fast bowlers”.

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Pakistan put NZ into bat first

DUNEDIN: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf won the toss and elected to bowl in the opening Test of the three-match series against New Zealand here Tuesday.

The University Oval wicket has a reputation for favouring the quick bowlers and Yousuf had no hesitation in confirming he would bowl first.

"Obviously, the first two hours here are very difficult and that''s why we will bowl first," he said.

But it was a decision that did not bother New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, who did not believe the green-tinged wicket would pose serious problems.

"I think we wanted to bat on it. All the talk is it won''t do as much as it''s expected to and when the conditions above are good it normally plays pretty well."

Although officially a Pakistan home series, the three Tests were relocated after New Zealand refused to go to Pakistan over security fears.

It is the first time New Zealand have hosted a Test in November and rain is forecast for later in the week.

New Zealand have only won one series against Pakistan at home, back in 1985.

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New Zealand 171-3 at tea against Pakistan

DUNEDIN: New Zealand were 171 for three at tea on the opening day of the first cricket Test against Pakistan at University Oval here on Tuesday.

Ross Taylor was 85 not out with Peter Fulton on seven. Martin Guptill made 60.For Pakistan Mohammad Aamir had taken two for 45.

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NZ 276/6 at stumps on 1st day

DUNEDIN: New Zealand were 276 for the loss of 6 wickets when the play on first day of first Test match against Pakistan came to end here, Geo news reported.

Skipper Daniel Vettori was playing on 40 while Brendon McCullum was unbeaten on 25.

Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif claimed 3 wickets, young Muhammad Aamir got out 3 batsmen while spinner Saeed Ajmal took one wicket.