Cool Start
Adur PradeepABU DHABI — The Cool & Cool Cup got off to an excellent start here at the Zayed stadium with a reasonable crowd turning up to enjoy the first one-day international between Pakistan and New Zealand on Tuesday.
Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal gave the fans a visual treat with their delightful shots all over the park. Afridi’s quickfire 70 from 51 balls and Akmal’s entertaining 67 from 43 balls not only helped Pakistan make a good total but also provided a thrilling start to the tournament.
With the one-day series started on a weekday, the organizers expect more fans to come and watch the match after their office hours. The second one-dayer, scheduled for Friday, would likely to see a full-house as the fans would have an option to enjoy their weekend watching their favourite stars in action.The third match will be held here on Monday.
Pakistan started their campaign with a surprise move, leaving out middle-order batsman and former captain Shoaib Malik from the final eleven of the first match. Malik, who scored a match-winning hundred against India in the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa last month, made way for Khalid Latif, playing his second international. Latif, the captain of Pakistan Under-19 team that won the World Cup in 2004, made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad. Latif’s inclusion proved good for the team as the opener anchored the innings with a 112-ball 64.
Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq returned to the side after a gap of two years. After a short stint with Hyderabad Heros for the Indian Cricket League, Razzaq’s comeback to the one-day squad provides him a good chance to cement his place in the national side. His return to the Twenty20 team had yielded good results with Pakistan winning the World Cup in England. He made a useful contribution on Tuesday, making 26 from 20 balls, including one four and two massive sixes in a Tim Southee over.
Injuries to some of the key players gave New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris yet another opportunity to make a comeback to the national squad after a long gap. “I feel like I’ve been away forever, even though I’ve had short stints with the team over the last 12 months. It’s good to catch up with everybody again and get back into some work over here,” Styris told blackcaps.co.nz in a recent interview.
“I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball really well. At the Twenty20 World Cup I was relatively happy with the way that went, and since then – without playing a lot of cricket – I feel like I’ve been going ok,” Styris added.