Before the start of the Pakistan-New Zealand one-day series, I had compared the respective talents as well as their recent records. After this, I came to the conclusion if Pakistan played to their potential, they would (on hindsight better would have been "should") win the series 5-0, if not anything more. Anything less than that was not acceptable for me, not even a 4-1 margin. However, the drubbing they received at the Jade Stadium has really jaded me as I sit down to rue my own and my countrymen's (cricketing) luck, which is being mocked by a handful of non-serious professionals.

Without being prejudiced of New Zealand's performance at Christchurch, I would like to indicate a number of departments of the game in which the Pakistani players have been found seriously lacking and which, in my opinion, were more instrumental in Pakistan's defeat than the strength displayed by the opposition.

Lack of Professionalism
First, let me elaborate on the phrase: "non-serious professionals". By it, I am simply trying to point out the highly amateurish attitude of our cricketers. Compared with the Australians or South Africans they seem nothing but a bunch of schoolboys, lacking in seriousness, tenacity and fortitude. They tend to ignore the seemingly minor aspects of the game, which in fact carry a lot of importance. For instance, Pakistani cricketers have never ever seemed to realize the importance of running between the wickets (here I'm talking irrespective of the game at Christchurch). Moreover, they play every game according to, what they 'think', is the apparent strength or weakness of the opposition. If the opposition is strong they try to put in more effort. On the other hand, if the opposition is weak, they tend to deal with them in a carefree manner. Pakistan players knew before the start of the current series that the Black Caps are not as strong as say, the Australians. This particular premeditation led them to slacken in their efforts, especially after going one up in the series by virtue of their win at Auckland. This is nothing but sheer ignorance of professionalism and casts a negative attitude toward the game.

Lack of Planning
Planning means what would be the strategy if one bowler is being hit around, giving away too many runs, what would by the new tactic if the team loses a couple of quick wickets in opening overs or what should be the plan if the team concedes runs in excess of say 250. At Christchurch, Pakistan seemed to be playing without all these thoughts. They did not seem to possess or display any options in case the bowlers were giving away runs and they seemed utterly clueless when the opposition had posted a mammoth total on the board. This is the responsibility of the coach more than anyone else, to draft such strategies. So one can only wonder what Javed Miandad is doing in New Zealand or for that matter the 'high-tech analyst'!

Lack of Mental Toughness
Conceding 284 runs in fifty overs was not a big deal. But the way Pakistani batsmen went after the target, it was made into a big deal. A team needs to be mentally tough if it seriously considers chasing a target as formidable as the one set by the Black Caps. However, the manner in which, a batsman as seasoned as Saeed Anwar started the proceedings, tells a lot about the mental framework in which Pakistani players find themselves during this tour. They lack the mental toughness, which is very necessary to overhaul any target in excess of 275. They just did not put up a fight. The bowlers, in the first place, proved too fragile under pressure when McMillan was hitting them around. And when it was the batsmen's turn to put up a show, they just wilted under self-induced pressure. This state of affairs calls for mental therapy for the players. I would not be surprised if Pakistan Cricket Board employs the services of a qualified therapist, to correct this particular aspect in the players' personalities.

Captain's role
The loss at Christchurch has yet again given rise to speculations regarding Moin Khan's role as captain of the team. Attacking with five bowlers (after winning the toss) was not a good idea. However, given the same bowling options, I think he could have fared a lot better. For example, it would not have been a bad idea if he had saved Razzaq, the most successful bowler in the match for Pakistan, for the last overs.

Over-reliance on Saqlain has let down Pakistan on a number of occasions lately. I had pointed this fact out after the Karachi debacle and am forced to reiterate that we should stop overusing him, especially in the final stages of a match. Moin Khan, in his capacity as captain, should be the first person to realise this fact. Twenty-four runs are too much for any bowler to concede in one over, especially for one as experienced as Saqlain. Moreover, bowling two no balls in the final over proved suicidal in the end. That last over, for me, turned out to be the real undoing for the Pakistan team. Had they contained the Black Caps below 270, the batsmen would not have come under such enormous pressure. We have seen that Saqlain has not taken many wickets with his conventional off breaks. The main weapon in his armoury has been his "wrong one", but that too is being quite easily read by most batsmen today. Remember, it was that very "wrong one", which was dispatched by McMillan over covers for the first of the three sixes in the final over.

In the end, I would suggest that Pakistan should go into the final game with at least six bowlers. It would not be a bad idea if Afridi comes in to replace Saleem Elahi, for apart from being a hard-hitter, the former is a reliable bowler as well who can easily deliver five or six overs.

For me, however, it does not make any difference whether Pakistan wins the last one-day international at Dunedin. Losing two matches of the series (in the most humiliating of manners) is so embarrassing that I doubt if a win in the last match would salvage the lost pride of the Pakistanis.

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