Pakistan are all geared up to take on New Zealand in the first game of the five-match T20I series starting April 18 (Thursday) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The series holds plenty of significance for Pakistan, in particular, as it witnesses the return of Babar Azam as captain of the white-ball side.
Babar stepped down as captain of all three formats after Pakistan's unsatisfactory run at the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 and the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) under the chairmanship of Zaka Ashraf announced Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi as captains of the Test and the T20I format.
However, Shaheen could only manage to lead Pakistan in a solitary bilateral series before Babar was reappointed as the white-ball captain of the senior men's cricket team.
The series also marks the international comebacks of Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim. Both players had announced their international retirements earlier but are now back and are in contention for a spot in Pakistan's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
On the other hand, New Zealand will be competing with a second-string squad as their key players are busy plying their trade in the 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Where to watch Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series online?
The Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series will be streamed live on the FanCode app and website for cricket fans in India.
New Zealand's tour of Pakistan:
| Date |
Match |
Venue |
| 18 April |
1st T20I |
Rawalpindi |
| 20 April |
2nd T20I |
Rawalpindi |
| 21 April |
3rd T20I |
Rawalpindi |
| 25 April |
4th T20I |
Lahore |
| 27 April |
5th T20I |
Lahore |
Pakistan's squad:
Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohmmad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan
New Zealand's squad:
Michael Bracewell (captain), Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Zak Foulkes, Jimmy Neesham, Will O'Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi
