New Zealand to tour Pakistan for T20I series in April as part of WC preparation

New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday that the New Zealand men’s team will tour the country from April 14 to play five T20Is. The matches will also serve as vital preparation for both teams ahead of Men’s T20 World Cup, happening from June 1-29 in the USA and West Indies.

New Zealand team will arrive in the capital city of Islamabad on April 14 and will play three T20Is at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on April 18, 20 and 21. Following this both sides will move to Lahore, where they will play the remaining two matches of the series on April 25 and 27, respectively, at the Gaddafi Stadium.

"In a testament to the unwavering camaraderie between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC), we are delighted to present the schedule for New Zealand men’s team tour to Pakistan 2024. This tour symbolises the deep-rooted ties and mutual respect that define the relationship between our two cricketing nations.

"Our avid cricket fans and the people of Pakistan will welcome the New Zealand team again and we hope to have yet another competitive series which is a key part of our buildup to this year’s ICC T20 World Cup,” said Usman Wahla, Director – International Cricket, PCB.

The coming tour of the Blackcaps will mark their third visit to Pakistan in the last 17 months. Previously, they had travelled to Pakistan from December 2022 to January 2023 to feature in two Tests and three ODIs. While the Test series finished in a 0-0 draw, New Zealand won the subsequent ODI series 2-1.

Later in April that year, they travelled to Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi to feature in 10 white-ball matches. In that tour, the five-match T20I series ended in a 2-2 draw while Pakistan claimed the ODI series 4-1. Earlier this year, Pakistan visited New Zealand but suffered a 4-1 series defeat in T20Is.

Series schedule

April 14– New Zealand arrive in Pakistan

April 16-17 – Training/practice

April 18 – 1st T20I, Rawalpindi

April 20– 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 21– 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 25 – 4th T20I, Lahore

April 27 – 5th T20I, Lahore