New Zealand will tour Pakistan for a series of five T20Is scheduled from April 18 to 27, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday (March 13). This will be New Zealand’s third visit to Pakistan in the span of 17 months.
The first three T20Is will be played in Rawalpindi on April 18, 20 and 21 while Lahore will host the last two matches on April 25 and 27. The New Zealand team is set to arrive in Pakistan on April 14.
The series, however, clashes with the Indian Premier League, which was also the case last year when New Zealand played five T20Is and as many ODIs from April 14 to May 7. This means the majority of the New Zealand players, who will be involved with their respective IPL teams, are unlikely to be available for the Pakistan series.
Kane Williamson is part of the Gujarat Titans team while Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner and Devon Conway (still recovering from a thumb surgery) are with CSK. Glenn Phillips (SRH), Trent Boult (RR) and Lockie Ferguson (RCB) are the other New Zealand players involved in the IPL.
“This tour symbolises the deep-rooted ties and mutual respect that define the relationship between our two cricketing nations,” said Usman Wahla, PCB’s director of international cricket. “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.”
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