Black Caps sharpen one-day focus

Two emphatic Twenty20 wins mean little to the Black Caps as they prepare for their three-match ODI series against Pakistan.

Two emphatic Twenty20 wins against Pakistan count for nothing as the Black Caps look ahead to the first of three one-day internationals in Wellington on Monday.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson says while he's encouraged by the way his team performed during the three-match T20 series, it's not something they'll be dwelling on.

The Black Caps lost the first T20 by 16 runs, but rebounded to take the second by 10 wickets and the third by 95 runs in Wellington on Friday.

Hesson says New Zealand's confidence has been boosted by the two emphatic wins.

Most of the Black Caps top six batsmen have spent plenty of time in the middle, and Hesson is also pleased with the way his bowlers have improved under pressure.

"I think we've got better as the series has gone on. We've certainly come up with some better variations, and I think in the field we've set a standard we need to try and maintain."

But Hesson has no doubt the Pakistanis won't dwell on their latest two losses.

"I don't think they're that sort of side - I think they'll forget it pretty quickly.

"They certainly take losses hard, as most teams do, but I think we know they've got enough quality that they can turn it around quickly," he said.

"Pakistan are one of those mercurial sides. You don't know where you are - you think you're on top of them, and then they turn up and put in an excellent performance.

"They've got enough match-winners in their side that if we don't play well, they'll blow us off the park."

The New Zealanders will be without Ross Taylor for the Pakistan ODI series, and the three-match Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia, after the composed right-hander aggravated a side strain on Friday.

But Hesson is confident he has the depth in his squad to cover Taylor's absence.

He says an encouraging range of players have stood up throughout the Twenty20 series, and mentions in-form batsmen Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill, the big-hitting Colin Munro, allrounder Corey Anderson, and the rapidly improving Grant Elliott.

"We're starting to get a larger pool of players that can make a bigger contributions at different times.

"We'll gain confidence from what we've done, and we'll gain confidence from the players putting in performances in pressure games."


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Source: AAP



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