David Leggat: New Zealand record against Pakistan makes grim reading

Pakistan. A big semifinal. Ring any bells?

Minds race back to Eden Park, 1992 and the match to find the World Cup finalist to play England in Melbourne.

New Zealand, with captain Martin Crowe in the form of his life, hit 262 for seven, roared on by a full house.

Pakistan were behind the play until a large, and largely unknown, young man put down his cream doughnut, ambled out and belted 60 in 37 balls to rip the game from a shattered home side.

The legend of Inzamam-ul-Haq, wonderful batsman, hopeless runner between the wickets and champion eater, was born.

Two other semifinal contests: at Old Trafford in 1999, New Zealand's 241 for seven was no match for the outstanding Saeed Anwar and the long forgotten Wajahatullah Wasti who carried Pakistan to 242 for one.

But at Nairobi in 2000, New Zealand beat Pakistan in the Champions Trophy semifinal - 255 for six overtaking 252 - en route to winning the title.

New Zealand would be advised not to peruse too closely the country's ODI record on neutral turf against Pakistan. There are six wins against 18 defeats in 24 matches.

A couple of the losses were abysmal, both in Sharjah which, while technically neutral, was decidedly Pakistan's patch, with conditions more to their liking, and backed by a large expatriate community.

In 1986, New Zealand were rolled for 64 in 35.5 overs. Evan Gray got 17; no one else made double figures, as Abdul Qadir and Wasim Akram did for them.

Four years later, same place, same opposition, same outcome. Andrew Jones made 47 out of 74. There were eight extras. Martin Crowe was next highest with five. Akram and Waqar Younis had a field day. Those two scores remain two of New Zealand's three worst in ODIs.

Some days were better than others. Their first clash on neutral turf, at the World Cup in 1983 at Birmingham, produced a 52-run win in a game in which Pakistan's chase began from the unpromising 0 for 3.

Pakistan has contributed its share of greats to the game.

Imran Khan, among cricket's finest allrounders, was an immensely stabilising influence, most notably when he steered Pakistan to victory in the 1992 World Cup.

Quick bowlers like Akram and Younis, the legspin genius Qadir, terrific batsmen such as Hanif Mohammad, Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, big Inzy and, of the present team, Mohammad Yousuf - formerly Yousuf Youhana - sit comfortably in the highest company.

When the 1995 team arrived in New Zealand from Australia, they had two decent wicketkeepers, Rashid Latif and Moin Khan. Moin had played in the first two tests in Australia, both of which were lost. Latif came in for the final match at Sydney, and snapped up six catches and two stumpings as Pakistan won by 74 runs.

Upon arrival in Christchurch, a senior player opined to a New Zealand journalist that their chances were good because "at last we have put the right wicketkeeper in the team". On the record, too.

Divisions, whether based on where players hailed from, or simply built on strong personality differences, meant there were often undercurrents at work.

Match-fixing and ball-tampering claims have blighted Pakistan's name from time to time, but should not hide the fact that, along with plenty of lows, they have had their glittering moments.

So have New Zealand. Neither country might rate among the heavyweights, either in financial or playing terms down the generations, compared with Australia, England, South Africa and, more latterly, India.

But both have frequently punched above their weight, and both have relished bloodying big brother noses. One of them will get another chance to do that in Tuesday's final.