Pakistan's arrival for its five One-Day Internationals and three Test match tour of New Zealand completes the triumvirate of the world's leading cricket nations over the last three years.

South Africa, Australia and now Pakistan have been the major tours of the three New Zealand summers and the results have been reflected in that.

In the six Tests played, New Zealand has lost four and drawn two.

In the 13 ODIs, New Zealand has won three, lost seven and three have been abandoned.

Making this year's tour all the tougher from the New Zealand perspective is the absence of Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Geoff Allott while among the batsmen Matt Horne is on the way back after injury.

The optimist would argue that would make success all the more enjoyable, the pessimist would say New Zealand has no show.

But if Pakistani cricket has one message more than any other to give the world, it is to have faith in young players.

Pakistani maestro Wasim Akram had to start his career somewhere and it so happens it was on the 1984/85 tour of New Zealand.

Waqar Younis came from nowhere to torment New Zealand's batsmen on the tour of Pakistan in 1990.

Who could forget the arrival of Inzamam-ul-Haq on the world scene, at Eden Park, in the World Cup semi-final stealing innings he played?

Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is another young player who was given his chance.

In fact, of all the Test-playing nations there are probably none who have so consistently given young players their chance well before other nations would ever consider them.

New Zealand has not experienced a summer like this one for some time. New players at times have exceeded the basic core of players.

But already it is apparent that names like: James Franklin, Jacob Oram, Chris Martin, Lou Vincent, Hamish Marshall and Brooke Walker, are going to be around the New Zealand scene for some time to come.

Is expecting some of them to perform in the forthcoming series against Pakistan too much to ask?

The challenge will be different to that offered by Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Pakistan is a much tougher proposition with some hardened professionals well capable of exposing any apparent weaknesses in any opposition.

Obviously fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will be a huge drawcard. One of the fastest bowlers on the world stage, he comes to New Zealand after players here have been exposed to Allan Donald two summers ago and Brett Lee last year.

With the prospect of Waqar and Wasim backing him up there should be some outstanding bowling during the summer.

On the batting front Saeed Anwar has had some particularly productive outings against New Zealand in this country. He has a Test average of 52.50 in games here.

Inzamam is now the most experienced batsman in the side, he is due to cross the 5000 Test run divide and will be the fourth Pakistan batsman to achieve the feat.

Yousuf Youhana is the pick of the younger generation of Pakistan batsmen with a 40.37 average from his 27 Tests.

If there is a weakness in this Pakistani line-up, it is in its top order batting and exposing that threat is obviously New Zealand's best hope of putting some credit to its season.

The challenge is ahead of the home team. Scoring runs against the all-round strength of the visitors will be the key, and again it is the experienced members of the side who have to step up.

Horne and Mathew Sinclair each fresh from a Shell Trophy century, Mark Richardson with 94 not out, Stephen Fleming, Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle have to give New Zealand the opportunity by scoring plenty of runs and at a faster clip than was achieved against Zimbabwe.

Prospects are that with the recent sun and heat on the Test pitches there should be better batting conditions than earlier in the summer.

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