Shane Bond confidence over pipping Pakistan in Abu Dhabi

New Zealand’s pace bowler Shane Bond is confident of his team’s good performance against Pakistan in the first of the three matches in Abu Dhabi.

New Zealand’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in Johannesburg was reason to believe a series win was within their grasp, although Bond is wary that the environment would suit Pakistan far better.

“We’ll redraw the stuff we had last time on them. It worked pretty well in terms of the bowlers; we knew what we had to do. Obviously this time we''ll have to adapt to the surface which will be flat and slow like Pakistan conditions,” Bond said.

 Bond will be a key figure at the top of the bowling order as he continues his return to the international fold, the New Zealand Herald reports.

 He returned in September’s one-day series in Sri Lanka, followed by the Champions Trophy, where he showed glimpses of his class.

A return to the test stage looms in the three-test home series against Pakistan starting on November 24 in Dunedin.

“It’ll be quite nice to get a full run of cricket in this series and then get back and get into some four-day cricket as well. I’m expecting the more I play the better I’ll get. I haven’t hit top form but it’s not far away,” he said.

“Everyone goes on about the speed, I’m happy with the pace I’m bowling. The more I bowl the more consistent I’ll get. I haven’t put in a consistent performance yet. I’ve been good in the odd spell then I’ve come back and haven’t been as sharp as I’m supposed to be,” he said.