This summer will see Pakistan coming to the shores of New Zealand and taking on the BLACKCAPS. With the World Cup just around the corner, both teams will be looking to establish some vital momentum beginning with the first Twenty-20 at Eden Park on Boxing day.
BLACKCAPS.co.nz catches up with the TAB’s Mark Stafford to get his take on the upcoming series.
So how's the series shaping up?
I think its shaping up to be an enthralling series. Both teams have a point to prove and, as their last tour here showed, they’re evenly matched.
The BLACKCAPS are coming off 11 consecutive ODI losses and they need to turn things around quickly in time for the World Cup in February. Momentum is absolutely key to performing well in that tournament so they’ll be desperate to string together some victories before they leave.
Pakistan on the other hand is coming off a very encouraging ‘home’ series against the highly rated South Africans. A drawn test series and narrow loss in the ODI series has given them a real confidence boost and they’ll be looking to build on that.
Where do you think the key match ups will be?
The first thing we and the public will be looking at is the makeup of the NZ team. With the disappointing tours to Bangladesh and India recently, many are looking for some new names when the team is announced.
And the players to watch?
For the tourists look for Shahid Afridi to lead his side from the front. Also if Mohamed Yusef and Younis Khan strike top form they could win games on their own.
The home side will welcome back a fit Jessie Ryder and hope he can start the batting innings with his trademark fireworks and then hope if sends some confidence through the rest of the batsmen. Brendon McCullum is due to find form again and Ross Taylor has been off his game for a while now. In the bowling line up everyone will be wanting to show they are worthy of a World Cup spot with good performances through the summer.
What bets are the TAB offering?
Head to head betting is still the most popular option with the public. The draw option is a very real prospect with tests in NZ given the tendency to get rain at some stage over the five days. There will be Top Runscorer for each team along with other batting and bowling options. In fact the index of options available has grown with demand over the years and this summer will see the widest variety we’ve ever offered on cricket. There will be something for everyone we think.
Obviously Pakistan’s cricket team have been in the news for all the wrong reasons… are you worried that the same thing could happen over here?
No. Firstly, I think it’s important that people realise that these are still allegations at this stage. Charges have not been laid or proven and it would be wrong to take action now without awaiting the outcome of the ICC and Police investigations.
The allegations in the UK concerned spot-betting on very specific events happening at a specific time. These options, such as whether the first ball of a cricket match will be a wide or a no-ball, could be manipulated. Because the TAB doesn't offer betting on these options we’re less vulnerable than other betting agencies.
So what does the TAB do then to guard against this type of behaviour?
Well for start we don’t offer betting on spot-betting products that are easier to manipulate. We also have extremely robust detection systems to prevent manipulation of sports results - we monitor every bet placed in real-time and any suspicious activity is acted upon immediately.
It’s also worthwhile noting that the TAB operates under very strict Government controls. Bettors in New Zealand can be very confident that they are betting with an agency that has integrity and a history of fair play.
Finally, your pick then for the how the series will go?
It’s a tough one to pick. I fear for the BLACKCAPS given their recent form, but a mix of the senior players and an injection of exciting, in form, new players could turn it all around for them. They will be desperate and I believe they can take one of the tests and if that happens its game on for the one dayers. NZ have traditionally been good performers in the one day format and we are due. So my best guess is 1-0 in the tests and 4-2 in the ODIs.
