The New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 2024 cricket series will start at the Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, January 12.
As per the schedule, New Zealand and Pakistan will play five T20 internationals across 10 days in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 to be held in the West Indies and the United States in June.
After the opening T20I in Auckland, the two sides will travel to Hamilton to play the second T20I to be hosted at Seddon Park on January 14. Both teams will later face each other in the third game of the series at the University Oval in Dunedin on January 17.
The fourth and final T20Is will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on January 19 and 21, respectively.
Ranked third in the ICC men’s T20I rankings, New Zealand will enter the series after being held to a 1-1 draw by Bangladesh in the recently-concluded three-match T20I series at home.
Ahead of the series, the New Zealand cricket team has announced their 13-man T20I squad to be led by captain Kane Williamson.
As per a curated arrangement, Williamson will not feature in the third T20I and Mitchell Santner will lead the side in his absence.
Fast bowler Matt Henry has recovered from his hamstring injury and will play the five T20Is against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Devon Conway has also returned to the squad after being rested in the Bangladesh series.
Pacer Ben Sears has been included for the opening two matches while fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will make his return for the final three games.
Kyle Jamieson and Michael Bracewell have been ruled out due to injuries while Trent Boult and Jimmy Neesham were unavailable for selection.
On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi will begin his reign as Pakistan cricket team’s T20I captain.
Pakistan are currently placed fourth in the ICC men’s T20I rankings.
Shaheen Afridi has been given the opportunity after he led his PSL side Lahore Qalandars to back-to-back titles.
The uncapped duo of wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah Khan and right-arm fast bowler Abbas Afridi have been added to the Pakistan T20I squad.
Leg-spinner Usama Mir will also look to make his T20I debut in New Zealand.
White-ball specialist Haris Rauf has been included in the squad despite friction over the pacer’s decision to skip the Test tour of Australia.
Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan has earned a recall to the squad after a gap of five years. Sahibzada Farhan last featured in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand in 2018.
New Zealand vs Pakistan head-to-head in T20 cricket
Pakistan have a superior head-to-head record against New Zealand in T20 cricket, winning 20 of the 34 matches that they have played so far. New Zealand have registered 13 victories while one game was abandoned.
The last time these two sides met in the shortest format, a five-match series ended 2-2 in Pakistan in April 2023.
Where to watch New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 2024 series live in India
Live streaming of the New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 2024 series will be available on Amazon Prime Video.
There will be no live telecast of the NZ vs PAK T20Is on any TV channel in India.
New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 2024 schedule and live match start times
All match times are in India Standard Time (IST)
|
Day and Date |
Match |
Venue |
Time (IST) |
|
Friday, January 12 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st T20I |
Eden Park, Auckland |
11:40 AM |
|
Sunday, January 14 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan, 2nd T20I |
Seddon Park, Hamilton |
11:40 AM |
|
Wednesday, January 17 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan, 3rd T20I |
University Oval, Dunedin |
5:30 AM |
|
Friday, January 19 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan, 4th T20I |
Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
11:40 AM |
|
Sunday, January 21 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan, 5th T20I |
Hagley Oval, Christchurch |
5:30 AM |
New Zealand vs Pakistan T20 2024 squads
New Zealand T20 squad: Kane Williamson (captain) (matches 1, 2, 4 and 5), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson (match 3 only), Devon Conway (wicket-keeper), Lockie Ferguson (matches 3, 4 and 5), Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears (matches 1 and 2), Tim Seifert (wicket-keeper), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
Pakistan T20 squad: Shaheen Afridi (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan
Photo credit: Alamy
