December 19, 2003	Friday	Shawwal 24, 1424

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HAMILTON (New Zealand), Dec 18: Never has winning the toss been more vital than it will be for the first Test between New Zealand and Pakistan starting here on Friday with the bowlers on both sides desperate to have first crack on the expected green-top wicket.

Persistent rain in recent weeks hindered the hopes of ground staff to prepare an ideal pitch, and despite cloudless skies this week the strip still holds a green tinge and the prospect of early fireworks.

Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is hoping Pakistan can carry on where they left off in the recent 5-0 one-day series whitewash of New Zealand.

“We are confident but we are also very aware that New Zealand were missing a number of their best players (in the one-day series in Pakistan earlier this month),” Inzamam said.

“I am hoping the momentum can continue but every match is a new one.”

Inzamam said through an interpreter, team manager Haroon Rashid, that Pakistan would play positive cricket in this month’s two-Test series.

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said he was relieved to be back in the side.

Fleming had to fly home early after sustaining an abdominal strain during the latter stages of the recent tour of India and there were fears he had suffered a hernia.

But a specialist suggested he kept playing and Fleming came through with flying colours when he turned out for Wellington in a recent four-day State Championship match.

“I felt absolutely fine during the match and have felt nothing since, so continuing to play did the trick,” Fleming said.

Pakistan have one of most potent attacks in Test cricket today with Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, and likely backup from the lanky Shabbir Ahmed and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, a point acknowledged by the Black Caps.

“This is as good a bowling lineup as there is in world cricket at the moment,” said New Zealand opener Mark Richardson, who faces the daunting task of mainting or improving his Test average of 49.4.

“I’m trying to get my head around how hard it’s going to be to succeed.”

Shoaib Akhtar has 107 wickets from 28 Tests at 25.1, Sami 26 wickets from 10 Tests at a surprising 44.2, Shabbir 23 from four at 21.1 and Kaneria 62 from 14 at 26.1.

But while acknowledging the lethal strike power that faces them, New Zealand are not conceding favouritism, sensing if anything the conditions are better suited to the home bowlers.

To match its bowling power, Pakistan boasts an exceptional batting line up, including the exciting young left-handed pair of Taufiq Umar and Imran Farhat, but history suggests they will struggle more than New Zealand on the bowlers’ track at Westpac Park.

“I give ourselves a very, very good chance of bowling them out cheaply with our bowling attack,” said Richardson, who scored a century against Pakistan here in March 2001.

While Pakistan coach Javed Miandad said it was a definite bowl-first wicket, he was not too concerned about his young openers should Inzamam-ul-Haq lose the toss.

“If you are good there is no problem. If you are a class cricketer you’ve got to show your ability,” Miandad said.

“I have full confidence in my boys the way they are playing.”

In the 2001 series, Pakistan were skittled for 104 and 118 on the same ground and lost the Test by an innings and 185 runs.

History backs the Black Caps at Hamilton’s Westpac Park where they have won five of 11 Tests, including four of the last five, and suffered just two losses — to Australia in 2000 and the Wasim Akram-Waqar Younis Pakistan side in 1993-94.

Many New Zealanders have an obvious affection for the ground where Richardson has scored centuries against Pakistan and Bangladesh and averages 72.5, McMillan has a century and two 90s and averages 62.4, Chris Cairns has his two best bowling hauls of seven for 27 against the West Indies and seven for 53 against Bangladesh, and Daryl Tuffey has 15 wickets from his last two Tests here at 8.7 apiece.

However, in total Tests between the two countries the figures are overwhelmingly in favour of Pakistan.

In 43 Tests since 1964-65, Pakistan have won 20, New Zealand six and 17 were drawn.

In the past 10 years Pakistan have won five, New Zealand two, and there were three draws.

Teams:

New Zealand (likely): Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Robbie Hart, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Ian Butler.

Pakistan (from): Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Yousuf Youhana, Salim Elahi, Asim Kamal, Younis Khan, Moin Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Danish Kaneria, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul.

Umpires: Dave Orchard (South Africa) and Steve Davis (Australia).—AFP/Reuters