Pakistanis welcomes New Zealand players on their arrival in Islamabad.
New Zealand cricket team arrived on Saturday in Pakistan after 18 years of playing series against Pakistan.
New Zealand cricket team arrived at Islamabad Airport from Dhaka and headed to a hotel where they would undergo a mandatory isolation for three days before the start of a two-day practice session on Sept 15, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The ODI series against Kiwis would be played at the Rawalpindi Stadium, scheduled on Sept. 17, 19, and 21.
While the next T20 matches are scheduled from Sept 25 to Oct. 3, in Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.
“The two boards have agreed that 50-over matches will now count towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification As Kiwis will return to Pakistan in the 2022-23 season to play two Tests and three ODIs,” said PCB.
A number of former cricketers and players of current men’s and women’s teams expressed their contentment on the arrival of the Kiwis on a “historic tour”, PCB said in a statement.
A bomb blast outside the New Zealand team’s hotel at Karachi in 2002 had cut short the Black Caps’ last Test tour of Pakistan, but they visited again for an ODI series the following year.
Since the 2003 ODI series, Pakistan had thrice hosted New Zealand for ODIs in the United Arab Emirates with the Black Caps winning the 2019-10 and 2014-15 series and drawing the 2018-19 rubber.
However, Pakistan won the 2009-10 and 2018-19 T20I series while the 2014-15 series was shared.
