RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s cricket Imam ul Haq on Wednesday said that Pakistan’s 5-match ODI series against New Zealand was very important as it would serve as the build-up for upcoming World Cup, taking place in Oct-Nov in India.
The series will commence on Thursday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which will also host the 2nd ODI on Saturday before the two sides will fly south for the remaining 3 matches in Karachi. The two teams will enter the series after an exciting 5-match T20 series that ended in a 2-2 draw.
Pakistan and World Cup
“There is a big difference between ODI and T20 cricket. If you look at our One Day matches record of the last one-and-half-year you’ll see we have done very well in that as we have won 9 out of the 12, we have played during this period. Our One Day Cricket record is much better than the T20 cricket,” he told the media in Rawalpindi.
He said Pakistan would try to learn from the mistakes they committed in the T20 series, adding that cricket was a team game, and the ultimate target should be to win matches. “We’ll try to do our best and win the series and get maximum confidence for the next World Cup. If we beat New Zealand by a margin of 5-0, our side will move to number one in ICC ODI rankings” he added.
He said if Pakistan managed to beat New Zealand by 5-0, it would not only push them to the number one spot in the ICC ODI team rankings but also boost the team’s confidence.
“If we win the series by 5-0, the collective confidence that we get will be more important than the individual records,” he added. Imam said as an opener, he had a great understanding with Fakhar Zaman and feels more confident with him. He said he would like to propel the Pakistan team to the final of the World Cup. “It will be a big achievement if we manage to do that,” he added.
