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| April 19, 2002 | Friday | Safar 5, 1423 |
Fleming refuses to accept Kiwis as underdogs
KARACHI, April 18: New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming Thursday refused to accept that his team was underdogs in the forthcoming one-day and Test series, adding that his side was determined to prove those theories wrong.
A cool and composed, Fleming, further said it only motivated him when his team was branded as push-overs before entering any series.
“I think it is just paper-talk really. We are always realistic and it is only a motivation for us. We know where we are and what we need to do.
“We have been very competitive in the last 12 to 18 months and I am confident in proving some facts wrong,” he said at the press conference.
New Zealand, the reigning ICC Champions Trophy champions, dominated the drawn three-Test series against Australia and then reached the final of the three-nation one-day series after defeating the world champions thrice in four games. They then won the one-day series 3-2 against England before pulling of a brilliant series levelling victory in the third Test.
However, on this tour New Zealand will be without injured Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Shane Bond while Daniel Vettori will be joining the side for the Test series starting at Lahore from May 1.
The Black Caps arrived Thursday on a rescheduled tour which was earlier cancelled last September following terrorist attacks on the United States. The New Zealanders open the tour with the first limited overs game at the National Stadium Sunday.
When New Zealand toured Pakistan last time in 1996-97, Fleming’s men pulled off a stunning victory in the first Test before Pakistan won the second to salvage a 1-1 draw in the two- Test rubber. Pakistan’s previous tour last year to New Zealand also ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Pakistan’s record in their own backyard is dismal as their last series win was five years ago against the West Indies. Since then, they have lost series’ to Australia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and England, besides the Asian Test Championship final to Sri Lanka in March.
Fleming, however, admitted that Pakistan would start as favourites. But at the same t