— Photo: S. Subramanium

IDEAL CONDITIONS: With the pitch at Mohali predicted to offer pace and bounce, it will be up to paceman Shane Bond to exploit the situation.

MOHALI: New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming is convinced his team is in a healthy state. His Pakistan counterpart Younis Khan also claims the players have developed a habit of winning and this strong self-belief has transformed the attitude of his side. Against this background, these two teams enter a decisive phase — the second round — of the Champions Trophy here.

Both teams are known for their unpredictability. "Pakistan is a dangerous side," conceded Fleming on the eve of the match at the PCA Stadium. "We have respect for New Zealand," confessed Younis. This mutual admiration formed the base of the pre-match assessment of the two captains.

It will be a test of leadership for Fleming and Younis in a tournament that has failed to produce quality cricket. "We have players for the future and the resources are increasing," said Fleming as he looked ahead.

Excellent captain

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer summed it up nicely. "He (Fleming) is an excellent captain, one of the best in international cricket. There would be less pressure on us for this match but we cannot relax," said Woolmer, a coach known to be at his best when under pressure.

Fleming has been in the saddle for more than a decade and has to assume greater responsibility in the middle for New Zealand to play to its potential. As the Kiwi skipper pointed out, the team has been hampered by inconsistency. "As a captain, I would love to win more titles than just matches. This is one area we need to improve upon," said Fleming, who revealed that he contemplated giving up the captaincy when the team was going through a lean period.

Fleming also said that left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori could be groomed for the job once he fades away.

New Zealand needs the batsman in Fleming to come to the fore. He has the ability to destroy the opposition and the time is ripe for the graceful left-hander to come good with the bat in this demanding situation.

Pakistan has found its rhythm and confidence, pushed the Shoaib Akhtar-Mohammad Asif affair behind it, and looked a composed side during its victory against Sri Lanka at Jaipur. "The pitch offers `carry' for the bowlers and `shots aplenty' for the batsmen," reiterated curator Daljit Singh. Woolmer read similarly, "It looks a good surface. There is a lot of grass on it, a typical Mohali pitch. It will help the bowlers in the first 10-12 overs."

Fleming termed it a, "great surface with pace and bounce. There is a lot for the fast bowlers." That should be good news for Shane Bond, a rare fast bowler with no doubts over his action. Bond, not fully fit, holds the key to New Zealand's progress in the tournament. A hostile spell from him could well be the difference between the teams on Wednesday.

Strong pace attack

Pakistan too boasts of a strong pace attack. "We have lost some fast bowlers and left some behind but I am happy with the depth available. The fast bowlers with the team here give us lot of confidence," noted Woolmer.

Pakistan has to shed the image of being an unpredictable side, given the strength of batting talent at its disposal. "I insist we play as a team even though the seniors have a role to perform. With some luck, we can go the distance," said Younis.

The teams (from):

Pakistan: Younis Khan (capt.), Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Naved-ul-Hasan Rana, Rao Iftikhar, Umar Gul, Faisal Iqbal, Yasser Arafat and Abdur Rehman.

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (capt.), Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, James Franklin, Peter Fulton, Daniel Vettori, Mark Gillespie, Hamish Marshall, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris and Lou Vincent.

Umpires: Mark Benson and Rudi Koertzen; Third umpire: Billy Bowden; Fourth umpire: Steve Bucknor; Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play: 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; 6.45 p.m. onwards.

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