Pakistan v new Zealand, ODI series: Younis Khan delighted to be back in one-day side

Pakistan batsman Younis Khan is determined to justify his return to limited overs cricket after being selected for the five-match ODI series against New Zealand in the UAE.

Younis has played just one 50-overs game in August this year after a 17-month absence due to lack of form but four Test hundreds against Australia and New Zealand since October have forced a change of heart from the Pakistan selectors.

The 37-year-old has also been included in the 30-man World Cup preliminary squad and he is keen to impress in the first game of the five-match ODI series with New Zealand which gets underway in Dubai on Monday.

"I am a happy man to be back," said Younis. "I hope I do well in this series and then the World Cup, it is very important.”

I believe we have a very good chance in the upcoming one-day series and especially during the World Cup.

Pakistan have not won the World Cup since defeating Australia in the 1992 final but Younis feels they will be strong contenders for next year’s tournament, which takes place in Australia and New Zealand.

"We have a good chance in the World Cup, because we have players in our side who can do well there," he added.

"It is often said that sub-continent sides don't do well on pitches with bounce. But if you look at the Pakistan side we went to South Africa and beat them there in a one-day series (last year).

"So that's the reason I believe we have a very good chance in the upcoming one-day series and especially during the World Cup."

New Zealand pace bowler Kyle Mills also referred to the 1992 tournament as he looked ahead to the upcoming series in the United Arab Emirates.

The 35-year-old was a schoolboy then and he watched the semi-final match in Auckland when Pakistan beat an in-form New Zealand by four wickets.

All the games have been hard fought contests and I guess you will experience some sort of intense battles over the next five one-day matches.

"I went from school to watch a couple of matches and remember the World Cup quite firmly because New Zealand played exceptionally well throughout the tournament,” said Mills.

"I was there on the day when Inzamam (ul Haq) hit us all around the ground at Eden Park and I remember that very clearly.

“It was a pretty sad day but I think New Zealand played some innovative cricket in that tournament.”

Fast forward 22 years and Mills himself will represent his country against Pakistan in limited-overs cricket.

Both the Test and T20 series between the sides finished in 1-1 draws and Mills is predicting another close contest between the sides in the ODI campaign.

"Judging from the two previous series with two teams reasonably evenly matched over these conditions, all the games have been hard fought contests and I guess you will experience some sort of intense battles over the next five one-day matches," he added.