They have specialist merchants and match winners who have the responsibility of delivering the goods, not just today but heading into the ICC World Cup starting in New Zealand and Australia in a fortnight.
"We need a little bit of luck now and then."
Lottery aside, Mushtaq threw in the reverse psychology of how the Black Caps were in their element.
"Overall, we just have to believe in what is our strength and, hopefully, we can deliver our best tomorrow, insha'Allah [god willing]."
Devine intervention aside, Pakistan's plans aren't available for media scrutiny but they are channelling their collective energy on what they can do rather than worry about what the hosts were bringing to the coalface.
Whether Pakistan would employ a spin-bowling attack today on a benign batting pitch, Mushtaq felt, would be the domain of coach Waqar Younis.
"I don't think you have to be a big spinner of the ball. As long as you have some variation and mystery in you, you can be dangerous in any kind of track."
Mushtaq said Sahid Afridi gave a brilliant display of that in Wellington.
Haris Sohail was another bowler he singled out as packing similar credentials to give elite batsmen something to chew on.
Pakistan batsmen looked ill at ease at the near-empty Cake Tin in the capital on Sunday, indecisive and apprehensive in how to tame the bounce and carry.
Some of them looked like they were playing a Twenty20 match and seemed to resort to injudicious shots.
However, Mushtaq said a more driveway-like McLean Park pitch - albeit offering some traction to new-ball bowlers after days of drizzle and 30C heat - today shouldn't be an issue.
Growing up in different conditions where the "bounce is nought", Pakistan were keen to adapt to the Australasian state on the logic that if the Kiwis and Aussies can adjust to the subcontinent then Pakistan should do that here.
"We have to adapt quickly. We have to be smart. We have to be professional and be proactive."
Consequently they see the uncomfortable facets of their game as a bedding-in process.
"We're not worried about those things because the guys are practising hard."
Technically speaking it would take them a fortnight to acclimatise.
Younis was trying to motivate his troops with the memories of the 1992 World Cup semifinal victory over New Zealand in Auckland when they overhauled an imposing total.
"I played that World Cup, with the blessing of Allah, so ... we shared that memory individually.
"The key things are why we'd done it and how we'd done it and why we have to keep doing that," said Mushtaq, who took 16 wickets, the joint second-highest after compatriot Wasim Akram.
