NZ to tour Pakistan twice in five months
LAHORE: New Zealand national cricket team will visit Pakistan to play two Tests and three One Day Internationals series in December 2022 and January 2023 as part of the Future Tours Programme. They will tour the country again in April 2023 to play 10 limited overs matches to make up for their September 2021 tour which they abandoned hours before the series was scheduled to begin in Rawalpindi.
An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the the arrangement had been finalised following discussions between PCB chairman Ramiz Raja and NZC Chairman Martin Snedden. The two Tests and three ODIs will be part of the ICC World Test Championship and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, respectively. The second visit will comprise five ODIs and five T20Is that will count towards the ICC Rankings.
Ramiz said he was pleased with the outcomes of the negotiations with the New Zealand authorities. “I thank Martin Snedden and his board for their understanding and support. This reflects the strong, cordial and historic relations the two boards have and reconfirms Pakistan’s status as an important member of the cricket fraternity,” he added.
NZC Chief Executive David White said: “Our respective chairmen, Ramiz Raja and Martin Snedden, had very fruitful and constructive discussions while in Dubai, further strengthening the bond between the two organisations. “It’s good to be going back.”
The latest announcement means Pakistan will host eight Tests, 11 ODIs and 13 T20Is against Australia, England and New Zealand from March 2022 to April 2023.
During the tour that New Zealand abandoned earlier this year they were to play three ODIs at Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi from September 17 to 21 and five Twenty20 Internationals from September 25 to October 3 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
New Zealand flew out of the country saying they had received a security threat. Ramiz had reacted angrily to their decision then saying New Zealand authorities should have talked to Pakistan officials before making the decision. Pakistan had provided the New Zealand team and officials security that is accorded to heads of state and government.
