The opening edition of the five-match T20 International series will take place tonight at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore between Pakistan and New Zealand.
The game will begin at 9:00 p.m. local time, and spectators in Lahore may expect thrilling matches as a treat.
commanded by Babar Azam Pakistan will play their first T20I match in this location since they faced England in October 2022 as part of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup preparations. Since 2015, Pakistan has won 10 of the 18 games played, and at 8.13 runs being scored per over, the stadium has given spectators action worth their money.
Since the Kiwis have never played a T20I in Pakistan, it is uncharted ground for them. It will be difficult for them to play in Gaddafi Stadium against a fully-fledged Pakistani team, but they will try to draw on their recent tour of Karachi, where they competed in two Tests and three One-Day Internationals in December and January.
With four wins over New Zealand in the previous five games, including a convincing seven-wicket victory in the T20 World Cup semifinal in Sydney, Pakistan already enjoys the advantage. The only loss came in Christchurch during the tri-series, which Pakistan won soon before the World Cup.
It feels amazing to be back in Lahore wearing the Pakistani flag, according to Babar Azam. As we combine the experienced senior players with the exciting youthful potential in this strong roster, this series is sure to be fascinating.
The T20 World Cup is more than a year away, so we’ll use the following five games to gauge our progress. Since we essentially have the same players in this side, they will also aid in our preparation for the vital five-match ODI series that comes next. This series will provide us a good opportunity to get ready for the Asia Cup and World Cup later in the year.
“This is an exciting tour for our team, and we know we’re going up against a quality Pakistan team who will be a significant challenge,” said Tom Latham. Obviously, we’re missing a number of our senior players, but this will open up opportunities for others, and I know the team is eager to put itself to the test.
The environment is very different from what we’re used to back home, so it will be critical that we adjust as quickly as possible. We’ll draw from our recent tour here, during which we were able to play some solid cricket in both the Test and ODI series.
We will strive to learn as much as we can about the PSL, which has only recently arrived, but ultimately, it will be about adapting as swiftly as possible.
T20I matches will be contested at Gaddafi Stadium on April 14, 15, and 17 before the action moves to Rawalpindi for the final two games of the series, which will be played on April 20 and 24.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan
New Zealand squad: Tom Latham (captain, wk), Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young
