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Cricket: New Zealand to visit Pakistan after 18 years

Cricket: New Zealand to visit Pakistan after 18 years
August 5, 2021 Web Desk

LAHORE (92 News) – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced that New Zealand will play three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals on their first tour to Pakistan in 18 years.

Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will be the venue of the September 17, 19 and 21 ODIs, while the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will stage the five T20Is from September 25 to October 3.

While the Rawalpindi ODIs will count towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification, the third position on the ICC T20I Team Rankings will be up for grabs in Lahore.

The ICC World Test Championship winners will return to Pakistan next year to play Test matches.

New Zealand will be the first side to visit Pakistan in what will be a bumper 2021-22 season for the local cricket fans and supporters. Following New Zealand’s tour, England’s men and women sides will play white-ball matches in Pakistan before West Indies are expected to arrive in Karachi in December for three ODIs and three T20Is. Australia is scheduled to undertake a full tour in February/March 2022.

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “Series against a top-ranked side like New Zealand will be a perfect start to a mouth-watering and highly-exciting home season of red and white-ball cricket. The 2019 World Cup finalists, who are also the World Test champions and ranked third in T20Is, will draw tremendous attraction and interest from the local fans, and will reinforce Pakistan’s status as a safe and secure country."

NZC Chief Executive David White: “We are very much looking forward to returning to Pakistan for the start of their home international season. New Zealand was the first country outside India to tour Pakistan and we share a close relationship with the PCB. It is great that, after such a difficult time for Pakistan, international cricket is again being played in the country.”

Series Schedule

Sep 11 – Arrival in Islamabad

Sep 12-14 – Room isolation

Sep 15-16 – Training/practice/intra-squad match

Sep 17 – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi

Sep 19 – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi

Sep 21 – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi

Sep 25 – 1st T20I, Lahore

Sep 26 – 2nd T20I, Lahore

Sep 29 – 3rd T20I, Lahore

Oct 1 – 4th T20I, Lahore

Oct 3 – 5th T20I, Lahore.