Ruthless New Zealand look to seal series win
After losing the ODI series, a journalist asked Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur what the first thought on his mind was. "When is our flight?" replied Arthur instantly. That's the kind of gallows humour prevailing in New Zealand among the Pakistan camp. Nearly a month-long tour has turned into a miserable campaign, with Pakistan now having lost 13 consecutive completed international matches against New Zealand.
This gloomy tour to New Zealand has undone all the hard work Pakistan have done over the last six months. They were blown away in the ODI series, and, with a change of format, the world No. 2 T20I side was dismantled in the opening game. They have a chance to keep the series alive and head into the third and final game with some pride, and something worth playing for. They have already tried every player on the tour barring Ahmed Shehzad - given ample time to adjust to the conditions, to no avail.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have continued their ruthless domination and must be overflowing with confidence given their form this season. It's hard to pick a flaw in this impossibly dynamic side, which has every base covered. They have also nailed the rotation policy so far. Their bench strength has been superb, and coach Mike Hesson's aims of improving the depth in the New Zealand squad are being quickly realised. Pakistan will attest to that.
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