New Zealand is likely to tour Pakistan for a limited-overs series just before the T20 World Cup. The last time Blackcaps toured Pakistan was in 2003, where they were white-washed in the five-match ODI series.
From 2009 to 2019, Pakistan was unable to host international matches in Pakistan after the terror attack in 2009 on the touring Sri Lanka cricket team bus. A bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers, part of a larger convoy, was fired upon by 12 gunmen near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan but the cricketers luckily escaped with minor injuries.
New Zealand Is Working Out On A Bilateral Series With Pakistan
This decade led to almost no international cricket taking place in Pakistan and Pakistan played its home series in the UAE (specifically Dubai and Abu Dhabi). After the year 2019, international test cricket returned to Pakistan as the security situation improved.
The NZC and the PCB are in talks regarding the bilateral series, David White, chief executive of the board confirmed.
“Our intention is to tour Pakistan, and we’re working through that with [the PCB], and Government agencies. All going well, ensuring that we satisfy all the security arrangements which I’m confident we will do, we will be touring Pakistan,” White was quoted as saying in stuff.co.nz.
Meanwhile, a packed schedule for the Kiwis in the next 12 months awaits the cricketers. After the upcoming T20 World Cup, they will play in nine WTC matches as well. Also, some players are set to take part in the second leg of IPL 2021 too.
“There’s a lot of moving parts right now, but ideally we would allow our guys to play in the IPL,” White said.
New Zealand last toured Pakistan in 2003, the year after a suicide bombing outside their Karachi hotel killed 15 people. The IPL bound players include the likes of Kyle Jamieson, Trent Boult, Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Seifert, and Finn Allen.
The Blackcaps will open their new WTC campaign (2021-23) against India. The Kiwis did not lose a single Test to Virat Kohli’s men in the first edition of the tournament. The Blackcaps will play its first home series(2 Tests) of the new WTC tournament versus Bangladesh.
The Proteas will pay a visit to New Zealand for a 2-Test series in February 2022. New Zealand will then travel to the United Kingdom again in the 2022 English summer to play a 3-Test series against England. The United Arab Emirates will likely host the 2-match Test series between Pakistan and New Zealand. New Zealand will conclude its campaign with a 2-Test home series against Sri Lanka.
Brad Hogg Praises Wonderful Performance From New Zealand To Win Inaugural WTC Beating India In The Final
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor played unbeaten knocks off 52 and 47 respectively as New Zealand defeated India by eight wickets to clinch the inaugural edition of the WTC.
On the other hand, after India’s loss in the WTC final, former Australia spinner Brad Hogg said, “A wonderful performance from New Zealand. India had their chances at the back end of the Test match to stay in it and win it. (Cheteshwar) Pujara dropping (Ross) Taylor with 55 runs still needed at that stage proved extremely costly. It was the final day of a final.”
“There was pressure. You had (Henry) Nicholls, Watling was injured. Anything could have happened with the pressure around there. Taylor went, (Kane) Williamson might have played a rash shot as well, not having that experience up at the other end,” he further said.
The architects of New Zealand’s victory were Kane Williamson(49 and 52*), Kyle Jamieson (5/31 in the 1st innings), and Tim Southee (4/48 in the 2nd innings). New Zealand was so disciplined with the ball throughout the match that they didn’t let an Indian batsman score a fifty in the entire Test.