LAHORE: Pakistan have all they need in terms of resources to emerge as winners of their upcoming five-match Twenty20 International series against New Zealand, but hard work would be key, the team’s high-performance coach Yasir Arafat said on Tuesday.

The series mark the commencement of Pakistan’s build-up towards the next edition of the T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in the United States and the West Indies in June this year.The national selectors, therefore, have picked up a squad featuring a number of players who have impressed in domestic cricket recently along with the core of regular players including newly-appointed skipper and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The roster includes the likes of flamboyant mainstays in top-order batter Fakhar Zaman and batting all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed and domestic high-performers in batters Sahibzada Farhan and Haseebullah Khan.

“Our side is well balanced and we have a few exciting cricketers at our disposal,” Yasir said during a media talk on the sidelines of the final day of Pakistan’s six-day preparatory camp for the New Zealand series on Tuesday.

“… like Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmad and new boys Sahibzada Farhan and Haseebullah, while many good players are in Australia as well.

“All of them have a few good performances on their back.”

In Australia are the ones who are featuring in Pakistan’s ongoing three-match Test series against the hosts, who hold an unassailable 2-0 lead.

The training camp was attended by players who were neither in the Test squad nor they were playing the on-going Big Bash League Down Under. A few players, who had performed in the recent National T20 Cup were also invited to the camp, despite not being picked for the New Zealand series.

“The boys have worked very hard in the training camp and if they apply what they have learned here, they may well go onto beat New Zealand in New Zealand,” claimed Yasir.it will be pivotal

to beat New Zealand in New Zealand,” said Yasir, who holds the England and Wales Cricket Board Level IV certification from the Loughborough University. While Yasir’s international career hasn’t been an illustrious one, his coaching ideas revolve around modern day cricket.

The former all-rounder believed Pakistan’s last appearance in New Zealand — a triangular T20 series win in November-December 2022 — proved the team was well-equipped to win the upcoming series, which runs from Jan 12-21 as well.

“Pakistan had played a triangular series in New Zealand before the last ICC T20 World Cup and won it with Bangladesh and New Zealand as

the other contenders, so, we have a good past and bunch of the players to topple New Zealand,” he said.

The series will be Pakistan’s first white-ball outing since their unsuccessful campaign in the 50-over World Cup, of which the side failed to make the semi-finals. Yasir believed the debacle should be treated as the past and nothing more.

“Many other teams also played badly [in the World Cup] but now they are planning for the future,’ said the 41-year-old. “Pakistan should do the same.”

One of the players who haven’t been selected in the squad but has been called up for the camp is Pakistan discard Ahmed Shehzad, who had recently expressed dejection over going unpicked for the next season of the HBL Pakistan Super League despite putting up a decent show in the National T20 Cup.Yasir acknowledged Ahmed’s recent performances and claimed that he urged the opener to keep fighting for a place in the national side.

“We did a good number of drills during the camp and Ahmed Shehzad did those all with full focus on that and my message to him is to

keep continuing his performances to put pressure on the selectors,” he said.

“My motto is to give maximum opportunity to those players who have been ignored despite their performances.

“It is our habit that we do not appreciate players enough and criticise them for their shortcomings.”

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2024