AUCKLAND (Agencies) - Pakistan have found the going tough in recent years, even without the off-field controversy they continually seem to face, but coach Waqar Younis is hopeful the successful tour of New Zealand will mark a turning point. Before this tour Pakistan had not won a Test series since 2006 and a one-day series since 2008, a staggering statistic for such a proud and vastly talented cricket nation. A lack of consistency in selection and performance and the fact opposition teams no longer tour the country, mainly for safety reasons, has marred their cricket. Add to the mix the spot-fixing scandal of the past 12 months, which has seen Salman Butt, Aamir and Asif banned for at least five years, and recent times have not been happy for Pakistan. But a new-look team have played consistently good, disciplined cricket in New Zealand to win the test series 1-0 and the one-day series 3-2. There is a nice blend of older campaigners such as man-of-the-tour Misbah-ul-Haq, who led the Test and one-day batting averages, and young guns such as Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq. With the World Cup around the corner, Younis is understandably brimming. "Yeah, I'm pretty pleased because it has been a while since Pakistan won anything, almost three years for a one-day series and quite a few years since we won a Test series, so it's definitely satisfying," he said before the team departed. "I always say that the amount of controversies we have had over the last eight or nine months, we needed something like this. We needed to develop our team again, we needed to bring the teams back into Pakistan and the only way we can do it is if we start playing well. "I think this is one reason why we played well. Hopefully in the future we will try to play the best cricket we can." New Zealand, on the other hand, have more cause for concern as they leave tomorrow for the subcontinent-hosted World Cup. Pakistan simply outplayed and outthought the hosts during the middle of the series. Little separated the respective bowling units but Pakistan batted responsibly and smartly, whereas New Zealand's batsmen too often had scant regard for their wickets and played what all-rounder Jacob Oram aptly dubbed dumb cricket. Stand-in New Zealand captain Ross Taylor felt, after Saturday's 57-run win in the dead rubber at Eden Park here, they would take some momentum into the World Cup, which starts on February 19. Few positives came out of the selectors' rotation policy, although one plus is that Brendon McCullum's brief stint in the middle order is over. Taylor suggested McCullum will open with Martin Guptill at the World Cup with Saturday's century maker Jesse Ryder at No 3 -- he scored a 93-ball 107 there at Eden Park -- and Taylor at No 4, ensuring New Zealand's potential match winners get the best opportunity to do just that. Nathan McCullum emerged as a more than useful innings finisher with two half-centuries to top the series averages for the home team. His 65 and an unbeaten 58 from Scott Styris were crucial in seeing New Zealand post 311 for seven at Eden Park. The death bowling improved markedly over the last three matches. Kyle Mills staked his claim as did the improving Hamish Bennett, who ended with 11 wickets for the series after taking four for 46 in Pakistan's reply of 254 all out on Saturday. With Tim Southee also in the mix the pace bowling unit is in reasonably good shape.