KARACHI: New Zealand coach Gary Stead said that his team will not underestimate Pakistan despite their three-nil defeat to England, expecting a tough competition in the two-match series.
Speaking to the media during the press conference, Gary said that the team has watched the Pakistan-England series very closely and is also analyzing the footage of the three Tests, but his team will not underestimate Pakistan.
“While it was three-nil against England, I think it was a very tight series and could have swung either way at times. We’re certainly not underestimating Pakistan at all, especially with them. Even in the home ground of
“I think spin will play a bigger role than maybe what we normally use but we did see signs of reverse swing at times. For us, it will be very important to hone our skills in those areas,” he said. said
“I don’t think Pakistan can be beaten easily, I think in Test cricket there are times when you get a bit of rubber, greens and things go your way. And I think Pakistan probably hasn’t had that recently.”
“They’ve also had some injuries to some key players in their team. But for us to come here, the focus is more on what we can do and what we can do well, so the Test matches ahead. Waiting.”
“I expect them to be tough Test matches, hard-fought, and probably very, very close. I think it’s always exciting for us when you come to a new country or any other country, you “There is a need to adapt quickly. And that’s what we will try to do,” the New Zealand coach said.
Responding to a question, the coach said that there is still a bit of jet lag left in the group but is hopeful that his team will adjust to the conditions soon.
He added that despite the fact that his team is out of the field to play the final of the World Test Championship, the Test series is extremely important as every Test match is an important milestone.
On Southee and Sodhi
He also threw his weight behind new captain Tim Southee.
“I think he will bring an aggressive nature to his style, I hope it will be a good test for him. Firstly, because there are probably more spinners playing,” he said.
“It will be a good challenge for him, but he has a great cricketing mind.”
“He understands this team very well. And I am sure he will get the best out of the players around him,” he said of Southee.
Moving on to Ash Sodhi returning to the team, the coach said that the player has been in and around our Test team in the past and has not played for a while.
Despite this, the coach noted that he has made some changes to his action over the past 12 months. “And we think he’s probably going to be a little bit more consistent than he’s been before when he’s not playing for us.”
“The conditions we face here are very different from what we get in New Zealand. So we picked our team thinking that a leg-spinner will be important. So that’s great,” he said. When asked about Ash Sodhi’s return to the team, he said.
Changing face of England cricket
When asked about England’s brand of cricket recently, the head coach of the New Zealand team said that every team has its own style of play, but the way England have played recently has changed the face of Test cricket. It has been changed.
“I think the way England are playing their cricket at the moment is probably through Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum as their coach and captain and I guess when you see them both playing like that They have a natural style.”
“I think as a team you have your own style that you work out how you can play the best but there is no doubt that they are changing the face of Test cricket a little bit and I think “That all teams will be thinking a little bit about England. The games and the success they’ve had this past year,” he said.
“What England have done with their cricket recently, they play at a very fast pace. When they played the first Test in Rawalpindi, it looked like a fairly low wicket and I think they read it and said we need to play at a faster pace. Scoring has accelerated and now most of the cricketers who play Test cricket. The ability to score at a very fast pace.”
“So for me, it’s still about finding your tempo, your style of play that’s best for your players and that’s what we’re all trying to do as coaches, so you find that. and then you can get the best out of your players,” he concluded.
