Pakistan may have lost the ODI and T20 series against New Zealand but coach Waqar Younis believes the tough encounters will hold the young side in good stead come the Asia Cup and World T20.
Pakistan’s only win on the tour came in the first T20 after which the hosts beat them on a trot, winning the T20 series 2-1 and taking the ODIs fixtures 2-0.
Despite a tough run, there were many positives to take from the tour, Waqar said after Pakistan's loss in the third ODI on Sunday.
“It’s always good for a young side like Pakistan to face a strong outfit like New Zealand before big tournaments. It will give them a lot of confidence despite the fact that we did not win anything,” Waqar said in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) media release after the match.
New Zealand have won 24 out of their 34 ODI outings since January 2015 while Pakistan have struggled in the shorter formats of the game winning just 12 out of the 24 one-day matches they have played.
The difference was quite evident in the five limited-overs encounters but Waqar said Pakistan did really well acclimatise to the conditions and could have won all the matches on the tour.
“Conditions in New Zealand are tough and it takes time to acclimatise, but the squad adjusted quite easily,” he said
“Although we failed to win matches, the tour has been productive when it comes to learning and growth.”
Waqar also identified Babar Azam as the 'find' of the tour.
The right-handed middle-order batsman scored 145 runs in the two ODIs, scoring half centuries in each and displayed a wide array of strokes.
“Babar Azam was a very positive we can take out of this tour. He is a talented youngster and considering the fact that the Asia Cup and World T20 are around the corner, he is a player Pakistan can bank on.”
The former captain and bowling great was, however, not too impressed with the way Pakistan's bowlers fared in New Zealand.
“There were lapses in fielding and bowling. The catches we dropped in the 1st and 3rd ODIs cost us a lot, may be a series win,” he said.
“I think lack of fitness is the main reason our bowlers have not done well enough. They need more time,” said the Pakistan head coach.
The next destination for some of the Pakistan players is UAE where the Pakistan Super League (PSL) kicks off from February 4 which will be followed by the Asia Cup T20 before the World T20 which is set to be staged in India from March 8.