RAWALPINDI: Mark Chapman’s red-hot T20 form in Pakistan has revived the New Zealand batter’s One-day International career in a World Cup year but the 28-year-old is taking nothing for granted.

Initially selected only for the T20 leg of the Black Caps’ tour, Chapman had checked out of his hotel room in Rawalpindi and was preparing to leave for home after helping his team draw the series 2-2 on Monday.

Then came the news he was staying on for the five-match ODI series starting in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

“I had to check back into my room,” Chapman, who made his international debut for Hong Kong in 2014 before moving to New Zealand, said. “I already had paid my bill and checked out.

“I got back here, had to get another room key … Same room, thankfully. So, it feels like home.”

Chapman was dismissed only once in five innings and racked up 290 runs — a record tally for a five-match T20 series — and was named Player of the Series.

The middle-order batter smashed 104 off 57 balls on Monday to secure New Zealand’s six-wicket win in the final match, a knock which head coach Gary Stead called “special”.

New Zealand are touring without regular skipper Kane Williamson, who is sidelined with a knee injury sustained in the Indian Premier League, while several others are busy honouring franchise commitments in that tournament.

Chapman played the last of his seven ODIs against Scotland in July last year.

Sustaining the prolific run against Pakistan’s formidable attack would boost his selection chances for the one-day World Cup in India later this year but Chapman is not thinking that far ahead.

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought too much about that,” he said. “We’ve got a five-match one-day series ahead of us. That’s our primary focus at the moment.”

Despite squaring the series 2-2 against a depleted New Zealand side, Pakistan captain Babar Azam was of the view that the hosts gained a lot from the four games.

The elegant right-handed batter said his team would take the learning into the upcoming one-dayers, the first two of which will be played on Thursday and Sunday in Rawalpindi before the series shifts to Karachi for the last three matches.

“There were a lot of positives in this series and we will try to further build on them and improve where we are lacking,” said Babar.

There will be a few changes in the Pakistan squad for the 50-over games and Babar said he was sure the incoming players had prepared themselves well.

“We don’t have much time and in such a case it’s important to stay switched on as a professional,” he said. “There will be back-to-back matches, three or four new boys are coming in.

“We will try to work harder in practice sessions.”

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2023