A dejected Ross Taylor had few answers that were not already apparent as the BLACKCAPS lost the National Bank Series to Pakistan with a 41-run defeat in the fifth match at Seddon Park.
Chasing 269 on a good batting deck, New Zealand blew their chance to square the series and were dismissed for 227 in the 47th over.
It was Pakistan's third win on the trot and they take an unassailable 3-1 lead into the sixth and final match, at Auckland tomorrow.
Pakistan again outbatted and outthought New Zealand, who have now won one match out of their last 15.
Taylor, standing in as captain with Daniel Vettori injured, said there was disappointment swirling in the home dressing room after they failed to capitalise on a good pitch.
"When we're getting ourselves into those positions, the confidence is probably not there and when that's the case, results don't seem to go your way," Taylor said last night.
"I don't think we're very far away, to be honest, it's only a couple of guys going on and getting big scores, and trying to not lose wickets in clumps like we have. Winning is a habit."
They needed to take a good look at how Pakistan approached the past three matches, with a top order player kicking on to a big score.
"Scores of 60 from (Martin) Guptill and myself are okay sometimes but when the team needs you, you need to step up and score a 90 or a 100," Taylor said.
"We're just losing wickets at crucial times, whether it's brain explosions or what we just keep losing wickets at times we can't afford to. We set ourselves to try and be two or three down at the 30-over stage and we haven't been there for a while."
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis praised his team after they backed up well from the 1-0 test series win, and said confidence was high ahead of the one-day World Cup, which starts this month.
"It was a very professional approach by the Pakistan team. Not only the batting but the bowling and in the field we were pretty sharp. We held our catches, we had the partnerships, spot on in all departments," he said.
"It's been a while, we've come very close to winning series' recently and we've played some good cricket, so the boys were excited and enjoyed it. We haven't anything in a long while in New Zealand in one-dayers so it's pleasing for everyone."
As was the case in the previous two matches, the tourists had a top order batsmen get a big score - it was opener Ahmed Shehzad's turn this time with his maiden hundred - then watched as New Zealand's top and middle order order got starts before basically issuing their own death warrants.
Guptill again looked in top form at the crease and he eased his way through to 65 but he was guilty of not pushing on, as was Taylor, who was out for 69.
Shehzad, 19, showed the hosts how to develop an innings, scoring a maiden hundred -- 115 from 109 balls -- as Pakistan posted 268 for nine.
The teenager's technique and style is easy on the eye and he mixed 12 boundaries with three glorious sixes in a chanceless breakthrough innings.
Kyle Mills, replacing the rested Tim Southee, was unerringly accurate in his first spell and although he conceded 21 runs from his final two overs, he was New Zealand's best with two for 42 from 10 overs.
Offpsinner Nathan McCullum and medium pacer Styris both did a good job in the middle stages, McCullum taking one for 40 from 10 and Styris snaring two for 51 from nine. Jacob Oram conceded just 17 runs from his final four overs, three of which were in the power play, and ended with two for 49 from 10.
Vettori, who tweaked a hamstring while fielding in the two-wicket loss at Napier on Tuesday, did not recover in time to lead the hosts and it is unclear whether he will be available for the dead rubber.
NZPA
