ISLAMABAD
\nNew Zealand Skipper Tom Latham was fully focused on the ODI series against Pakistan, and looks forward to the challenge in the exciting action beginning Thursday.
\n\u201cIt was a quality comeback for us after we were 2 down in the T20 series. We were a little bit underdone, but I think from game to game we got better and better and to get that point to draw the series.
\nThe focus in on the ODI cricket now, we\u2019ve got changes in the squad. We are trying to play our brand of cricket as best we can. We play a little bit of this format back home. So we are trying to continue that and keep building on the performances,\u201d he said in a presser at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi on Wednesday.
\nTom was of the view that the momentum they\u2019ve built through the T20s, hopefully they would take that into the game (ODI) on Thursday.
\nThursday\u2019s match will be the first between the two sides at the Pindi Stadium in 20 years. In 2003, New Zealand played two ODIs and lost both by seven wickets and 49 runs. A year earlier, Pakistan had defeated New Zealand by three wickets. Overall, Pakistan enjoy a healthy 18-5 on a head to head on home soil.
\nSpeaking about the Pakistan-New Zealand ODI series in preparations as part of the ODI Cricket World Cup, he said it would be the last games before the ODI Cricket World Cup. But our focus is solely on the series.
\nOn inclusion of Mark Chapman in the squad, he said Mark has been in fantastic form throughout that T20 series. The way he played not only in that last game, but also the game beforehand, it\u2019s obviously great that we can we can include him in the squad as well.\u201d
\nTom was not willing to look ahead to the World Cup in India later this year. \u201cWe will look at the wicket and see what our best team will be. We are completely focused on the series and not trying to too far ahead.
\nThere\u2019s a World Cup coming up in a few months time, but if we look too far ahead, we\u2019ll probably lose focus of the job at hand here over the next two weeks. So we\u2019re looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we can play well.\u201d
\nTom also lauded Pakistan side, saying Pakistan was a quality side and they have got players who have been in form and playing well. \u201cWe expect them to be at their best and we know it\u2019s going to be an exciting series coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD New Zealand Skipper Tom Latham was fully focused on the ODI series against Pakistan, and looks forward to the challenge in the exciting action beginning Thursday. \u201cIt was a quality comeback for us after we were 2 down in the T20 series. We were a little bit underdone, but I think from game to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-327782","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n