NELSON: Pakistan team’s head coach Mickey Arthur feels that the players have acclimatised well with the conditions in New Zealand, before the team kicks off its tour with a 50-over warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Nelson on Wednesday.

Talking to media a day before Pakistan’s practice match, Arthur said the team is looking forward to the game and both batsmen and bowlers have gelled with the conditions.

“The team has been really good with its workout. We have acclimatised well with the conditions here and had three good sessions of training in which bowlers bowled enough number of overs and batsmen were able to work on their defence,” the coach said.

Arthur said that New Zealand are a very good side at home and the series is going to be a challenging one for Pakistan, but expressed hope that Sarfraz Ahmed’s men will achieve good results in the five-match ODI rubber.

“I am really confident about better results because we have a very balanced team,” he said. “We have been consistent and players know their roles. I am confident that if we play up to our abilities then we will have a very good series against New Zealand and get some success here.

“The Kiwis in these conditions are incredibly good. The practice match tomorrow will be full dress rehearsal for what is going to be a really, really tough series for us.”

Replying to a question, Arthur said that every team is good on its own soil but the key for Pakistan will be to win away from home.

He also confirmed Pakistan’s playing eleven for the warm-up against New Zealand XI.

The team includes skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees and Mohammad Amir.

The five-match ODI series commences from Saturday followed by a three-match T20I series.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2018