Cricket: Six newcomers in Baby Black Caps

By MARK GEENTY

LAHORE - They're calling themselves the Baby Black Caps -- six debutantes in one of the greenest New Zealand teams ever to line up in a one-day cricket international.

New Zealand confirmed their status as rank outsiders for today's first of five matches against a settled Pakistan side (7pm NZ time) by naming a new top order, a new pace bowling duo and omitting veteran Chris Harris and senior paceman Daryl Tuffey.

The six debutantes will be batsmen Richard Jones, Craig Cumming and Hamish Marshall along with allrounder Matthew Walker and speedsters Mike Mason and Kerry Walmsley.

Auckland allrounder Tama Canning was the only newcomer not named for his debut and will sit out alongside Harris, Tuffey and medium pacer Paul Hitchcock.

Harris' omission, explained by coach Ashley Ross as a chance to introduce newcomers such as Walker early on, means the tourists are without four of their five most experienced internationals.

Regular skipper Stephen Fleming and Nathan Astle are sidelined with injury while Craig McMillan opted out of the tour.

It leaves captain Chris Cairns, playing his 171st match, and spinner Daniel Vettori in his 118th match as the only two with more than 50 appearances.

"There's no point taking 15 players and going back not knowing any more about them. We're going to try and find out as much as we can about the new guys," Ross said after training at a chilly, floodlit Gaddafi Stadium today.

"There's no doubt playing here is a difficult ask. It does provide us with a terrific opportunity, and these new guys can stamp themselves on the game."

Tuffey's non-selection was with an eye to the home series against Pakistan and South Africa, as he still recovers from illness which swept through the side in India.

With paceman Shane Bond an ever doubtful starter, the durable Tuffey will be New Zealand's pace spearhead in coming months.

"We've got a very demanding home series coming up and we're mindful of Daryl's value there," Ross said.

Illness had also hit allrounder Jacob Oram hard, having lost up to 10kg from his 110kg frame since the India tour started in September.

He was likely to play just as a batsman tomorrow and also have a limited bowling workload in the series.

Mason has been 12th man for New Zealand four times previously while new ball partner Walmsley is a seasoned first-class campaigner with three tests to his name.

Marshall summed up the feeling of the debutants after training.

"It's exciting for all of us. A nice ground, a good pitch, I think everyone's pretty fired up for it," Marshall said, adding the heavy security around the team wasn't a distraction.

"It's a new look side but we're all keen, just looking forward to getting out there."

Marshall previously played one test in Johannesburg in 2000, scoring a gutsy unbeaten 40 against South Africa.

"You never give up hope, it was a good taste and you always want to get involved again."

Pakistan will be more conventional and have a strong batting line-up led by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana, three sharp allrounders in Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood and Shoaib Malik, plus slippery paceman Mohammad Sami.

New Zealand's only consolation is the absence of speedster Shoaib Akhtar, suspended for the first two matches for verbal abuse but clearly fired up in the nets today for a return in Faisalabad on Wednesday.

New Zealand: Chris Cairns (captain), Richard Jones, Craig Cumming, Mathew Sinclair, Hamish Marshall, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Matthew Walker, Daniel Vettori, Mike Mason, Kerry Walmsley.

Pakistan (from): Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Imran Farhat, Saleem Elahi, Yasir Hameed, Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Malik, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan, Danish Kaneria, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul.

- NZPA