Cricket: Irfan and Afridi threaten in a losing effort

Shahid Afridi. Photo / AFP

"It was like batting on a trampoline."

That was Grant Elliott's assessment of facing 2.16m Pakistani pace bowler Mohammad Irfan last night as the New Zealand batsman guided the hosts to their eighth victory in the last 12 one-day internationals.

"It's something I've never faced before. Someone that height, to bowl the pace he does, is a real find."

Irfan is not new to the international scene. He's played 39 matches, including five ODIs against New Zealand in December, but the nature of his steepling deliveries presents a problem on pitches which should offer more bounce than his 'home' patch in the United Arab Emirates.

A career ODI average of 30.07 generated from 55 wickets suggests he could be a difficult proposition. However, the unbeaten chase from Elliott and Ross Taylor, who came together at 101 for three, suggested otherwise. Irfan finished with one for 60 and the Decision Review System might prejudice him if he's bowling the ball from 2.5m in the air. Shahid Afridi also looked challenging, as 392 ODI wickets at 33.91 attest.

"He skids the ball on quite well," Elliott said. "He's got great control and is difficult to get away but we analyse a lot of these bowlers. We work out game plans with batting coaches and others who have played them previously. The trick during the World Cup will be having those tools at your disposal."

Afridi's batting saved Pakistan's innings of 210, with 67 runs in 29 balls which threatened to take the innings deeper than the visitors' eventual capitulation in 45.3 overs.

It looked like he was laying the preparations for a crack at the world record taken from him by a 36-ball Corey Anderson ton last year, since surpassed by AB de Villiers' 31-ball blast. Afridi scored a 37-ball ODI century against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996.