After series losses to Australia, South Africa and India the New Zealand cricketers will try and resurrect their year when they begin a two test series against Pakistan in Christchurch today.
The seventh ranked Black Caps only series win this year has come against lowly Zimbabwe, who sit at the bottom of the world rankings in tenth spot.
But to turn things around New Zealand will have to overcome a Pakistan that's still smarting from having lost the number one ranking to arch rivals India.
New Zealand are keen to put the three-nil series whitewash at the hands of India behind them with coach Mike Hesson banking on home conditions to help turn around their fortunes.
Black Caps coach Mike Hesson Photo: Photosport
"We've been stressing the fact that we need to prepare for conditions that we are more familiar with. We've got some experience to draw upon from the last three or four years so it's a matter of going through that rather than reliving India," he said.
New Zealand's batsmen had had a particularly torrid tour of India, where no one managed to score a test century.
But Hesson believes those failings won't come back to haunt them.
"Stats suggest that it's obviously a lot easier at home. We've won seven of our last eleven tests at home in the last three years, with a couple of draw and a couple of losses...conditions are familiar to you and you should be able to adapt quicker than other sides."
Celebrations have been few and far between for the Black Caps this year. Photo: Photosport
The former New Zealand captain Ken Rutherford says the poor form of senior batsmen Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor has been key to the Black Caps disappointing results this year.
Guptill has been dropped for this series and replaced by his Auckland provincial teammate Jeet Raval who will make his test debut.
"You get a couple of key players that are not quite performing and it puts pressure on the rest of the batting unit and clearly we haven't found a replacement for Brendon McCullum at number five in the batting order either."
The New Zealand captain Kane Williamson says despite their poor batting form in India he will be urging his side not to become timid.
"It's important when you come off the back of a tour like India which was extremely tough, that we come back here and try and play with freedom...that's when we play our best cricket."
However New Zealand can't afford to put too much store on home conditions solving their batting woes.
Pakistan haven't lost a series here since 1985.
Jeremy Coney (pictured) helped guide New Zealand to their last series win over Pakistan. Photo: Photosport
Dubbed the Great Escape that was when Jeremy Coney and Ewen Chatfield remarkably scored the 50 runs needed to see New Zealand to victory by two wickets at Carisbrook in Dunedin to seal the series.
Pakistan though have had a far from ideal preparation for the Hagley Oval test which will be captain Misbah Ul Haq's 50th as skipper.
Pakistan cricket captain Misbah Ul Haq Photo: Photosport
Their warm up match against New Zealand A in Nelson was washed out and Monday's earthquake has also made them uneasy says coach Mickey Arthur.
"Haven't bowled a ball in game yet...and gee an earthquake and a tsunami warning it's all been happening for us hasn't it?," he said.
Earthquakes and tsunamis maybe they are portents of things come ? Even perhaps something as cataclysmic as a Black Caps series win.
- RNZ
