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The New Zealand national cricket team toured Pakistan during the 1996–97 cricket season. The tour consisted of a first-class game against an invitational Pakistani Cricket board XI, followed by two Test matches and three One Day International games. The hosts and tourists shared honours in the Test series, drawing 1–1, though Pakistan won with only a narrow 44-run margin in the first Test, and lost the second by an innings and ten runs.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=New Zealand in Pakistan Nov-Dec 1996 - Summary of Results )〕 New Zealand's Stephen Fleming enjoyed a successful series with the bat, scoring 182 runs at 60.66 in the Test series and 172 runs at 86.00 in the ODI matches, though the rest of the New Zealand batting line-up were said by the New Zealand press to have let the side down with the bat during the Test matches. Nathan Astle, questioned over his place during the tour, redeemed himself with a half century in the final ODI match to alleviate heavy media pressure. Three Pakistan batsmen – Mohammad Wasim, Saeed Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed – all hit Test centuries. Ahmed also topped the Pakistan ODI batting averages. Mushtaq Ahmed was the most prolific wicket taker in the Test matches, with 18 wickets.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=1996/97 Test Series Averages - New Zealand v Pakistan )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=1996/97 ODI Series Averages - New Zealand v Pakistan )〕 Fleming and Anwar were both named Player of the Series in the Test and the ODI matches for their performances.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=New Zealand in Pakistan 1996/97 )〕 The start of the series was overshadowed by political upheaval with the removal of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and rumours of violent unrest in Pakistan. Danny Morrison, New Zealand's "premier strike bowler" also pulled out with an injury. ==Background== New Zealand faced several problems on the eve of their 1996–97 tour of Pakistan. Initially, over questions of safety, the New Zealand Cricket Board considered cancelling the tour in light of the removal of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the resulting political fallout. Majid Khan, the then-chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board sent assurances to his opposite number in New Zealand, Christopher Doig, that the country was safe to tour. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs also conducted an investigation and believed the tour was safe. New Zealand had previous called off tours of Sri Lanka in 1986–87, and in 1991–92 five players returned home early, all due to bombings and security concerns.〔 The touring side warmed up with an engagement against the Pakistan Cricket Board XI over 17, 18 and 19 November at the Quaid-e-Azam Stadium, in Sahiwal. A drawn match, New Zealand were dismissed for 171 largely due to Mohammad Zahid's 6/54, with Bryan Young top scoring with 47 but with six of New Zealand's top eight batsman being dismissed for single figures. The PCB XI managed 193 in response, with wickets shared between Morrison and Simon Doull. New Zealand fared better with 211/7 declared in their second innings, built largely around Young's 73, and the PCB XI reached 41 without loss by the close. The touring side's batting, bar the efforts of Young who was struggling with a painful tooth infection, was criticised by the media as "in strife" during the match due to their collapse of five wickets in eight overs. Some controversy developed over Lahore newspapers publishing speculations that Doull had tampered with the ball. Earle Cooper, managing the touring side, responded with "New Zealand cricketers are not cheats."〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Scorecard: Pakistan Cricket Board XI v New Zealand )〕 Of greater concern was Danny Morrison, considered a "premier" strike bowler for new Zealand. He managed only eight overs during the warm-up match before having to retire.〔 Given the strength of the Pakistan pace attack, Justin Baughan was considered for opening the batting alongside Young following their respective performances in the warm-up match. Craig Spearman's form also came into question after a poor performance against the PCB XI and given his recent dropping from the domestic one day championship in New Zealand. Spearman was later not included in the squad announced for the first Test, while Young and Vaughan were set to open the innings together. Pakistan, meanwhile, announced the exclusion of experienced batsman Aamir Sohail, and hinted at giving a debut to Zahoor Elahi, then playing well in domestic cricket. They waited, however, until the morning of the Test before confirming. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「New Zealand cricket team in Pakistan in 1996–97」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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