BENGALURU: As Pakistan prepares for a crucial ICC Cricket World Cup clash against New Zealand, Director Mickey Arthur has expressed his focus on, both, winning the game and improving their net run rate.
Arthur’s press conference on Friday shed light on Pakistan's strategy for the must-win match tomorrow.
Speaking to media after Pakistan's training session, Arthur also indicated a change in Pakistan's game plan. He acknowledged the importance of not just winning but also surpassing New Zealand's net run rate.
"Yeah, look, of course it is. It is based on and during the Kolkata chase, I had every scenario in my pocket as to if we won in 25 overs, if we won in 26 overs, 27 overs. So, we kind of knew as to how we were going to eat into the net run rate of particularly New Zealand," he explained, underlining the team's strategic planning.
For Pakistan, it is imperative to secure a victory against New Zealand this week with a substantial margin. A win by 84 runs would position Pakistan ahead of New Zealand in the tournament standings while chasing down the target in 35 overs can also give them an advantage.
However, Arthur emphasised the need to respect New Zealand's strength before diving into net run rate calculations.
"The first thing for us, though, is we've got to respect our position. New Zealand are a very, very good team. I think they're very well coached. I think they're very well led. I think they're a very experienced cricket team," he said, acknowledging New Zealand's quality
Regarding Pakistan's performance in the tournament, Arthur said, "I don't think we've played to our full potential yet," while praising the complete performance against Bangladesh as an example of their capabilities.
He expressed hope that the team had found their best game at the right time.
The continuous travel and tight security measures were addressed by Arthur, who acknowledged the players' resilience and adaptability to the unique circumstances. He mentioned that the restrictions had been stifling, and they had tried to organise team events to provide a taste of the outside world.
"What has been tough is the fact that we've been under a massive amount of security. So, I've sort of taken it back. And to be fair, I found it difficult. It's almost like we've been back in the COVID times, where you were almost secluded to your floor and your team room. So much so that their breakfast is in a separate room to everybody else. So, it's almost, that's been the tough aspect," he said.
"It certainly does. It definitely does. And I've seen it with some players where it has been, you wake up again and it's like Groundhog Day. It's exactly the same. You have breakfast and if it's a non-training day, you're back to your room. We've tried to have sort of little fun team events and whatever within our team room. But you know, there's only so much you can recreate. I think the guys have been out three times. We've managed to do that with security, get them out to a different restaurant or whatever, just to give them a little bit of a taste of the outside world," he said when asked if too much restriction is affecting the team.
Arthur revealed extensive research had been conducted on the venue, and a game plan had been devised to suit the conditions. He indicated that a potential change in the team's composition was under consideration.
When questioned about potential changes in the squad, Arthur praised Haris Rauf's specific role as a striker and implied that he would likely retain his place. However, he suggested there might be a game plan change, just as they had brought in Fakhar Zaman, who performed exceptionally after recovering from injury, against Bangladesh.
"If we make change - and just on Haris Rauf does a real role for us. You know, he's kind of our striker. So no, we wouldn't look to change Haris Rauf because he's got a specific role for us within the team. But there is a potential for a game plan change, yes," he concluded.
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.- Mickey Arthur