Pakistan can’t host NZ before early 2023

ISLAMABAD: Busy Pakistan cricketers will not be in a position to play against New Zealand at home till early 2023 when Kiwis are to travel back to Pakistan for a full series.

The details gathered by ‘The News’ from different sources reveal that even if the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) repented their decision of pulling out of the Pakistan tour and decided to retake the tour, they would not be welcomed until the last week of December 2022 for the series starting in 2023.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already stated that Pakistan will not play its home series on a neutral venue any more.

“Must keep in mind that we will never take our home series to a neutral place as we have proved that Pakistan is one of the safest countries to play cricket in,” Wasim Khan, Chief Executive PCB said the other day.

Pakistan cricketers have a busy schedule ahead of them as barring a month of Ramazan in 2022, the national team will not be having the time to play against the Kiwis.

Following the T20 World Cup, Pakistan are to undertake a Bangladesh tour after which they will host West Indies.

The lengthy series will be followed by Pakistan Super League (PSL) and then Australia will be here to play a full series. After Ramazan, Pakistan will tour Sri Lanka to play a series and also the postponed Asia Cup T20.

Pakistan will then play five ODIs against England in England.

From there on, the team will figure in the World Cup T20 to be held in Australia.

England are also scheduled to visit Pakistan in 2022-23 for a three-match Test series.

New Zealand have scheduled a series in Pakistan in early 2023. If New Zealand wanted to compensate for the tour they abandoned even before the start of first ODI at the Pindi Stadium Friday, they would have to play extra matches during that tour.

For that, however, they would need prior approval and confirmation from the PCB.