Cricket: Difficulties hone O'Brien's attack

Iain O'Brien is leaving at the top of his game. Photo / Getty Images

Unexpected visa hiccups gave Iain O'Brien a rough start to the day yesterday. He is retiring after the current test against Pakistan and heading to England to join his wife Rosie.

"Pretty average news," was his reaction to the visa setback.

It probably gave the man they call "Obber" an extra motivation. Either way, O'Brien turned in an excellent, hostile morning spell to rip out four Pakistani wickets in 26 balls for just three runs to set up a routing of the visitors for 223.

But even if O'Brien's departure is delayed by weeks or months, as he speculated could happen, this will be his last test.

Is he available now for the Bangladesh test in early February perhaps?

"No," was the emphatic reply.

He can be satisfied that he is bowing out at the top of his game, his four for 35 continuing an impressive run of form going back for more than a year. There is no question he is stepping aside when his place in the team is secure.

"We were pretty keen to bat first and to then bowl them out for just 200 was a great result for us bowlers," O'Brien said last night.

"I'm in a good space at the moment. I had a few things not quite go my way this morning before we left the hotel and I was able to push them aside and I guess they may have helped me to push harder in the middle."

And his work was praised as "fantastic" by Pakistan's batting saviour Imran Farhat. His unbeaten 117 pulled Pakistan out of a deep hole.

He was buoyed by the team management telling him in advance he would play the tests in New Zealand.

"They worked a lot with me and I'm really happy."

Farhat hopes his bowlers can again put the heat on New Zealand's batsmen today - "an early two or three wickets and it will be all the pressure on them".

Farhat confirmed Pakistan had been frustrated by the length of time Tim McIntosh took to seek an umpiring review after being given out lbw for 0 late yesterday. It dragged out to about 20 seconds. "We were told it had to be as soon as possible, I think three or four seconds. You can take advice, but you can't take too long," Farhat said.