Pakistan are set to face New Zealand in the first T20I match, part of the five-match home series, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium today.
Led by newly-appointed skipper Babar Azam, who was recently reinstated to the top post after resigning as the team’s skipper in November last year, the Green Shirts will take on Michael Bracewell’s Black Caps who will aim to make their mark in the absence of some of the key players.
This is the third five-match series between the two sides inside a 12-month period as last year, Pakistan and New Zealand drew the four series in Pakistan by winning two matches each, while the Black Caps clinched the series 4-1 earlier this year in their backyard.
With both sides aiming to utilise the opportunity to boost preparations and fine-tune their team combinations ahead of the 2024 T20I World Cup slated for June, the Men in Green hold an edge over the visitors in the shortest format of the game with 21 wins and 17 losses against the Black Caps.
Furthermore, the series will likely see pacer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim making their comeback into the national side after taking back their retirement from the international cricket.
Meanwhile, series will also likely see Usman Khan and Muhammad Irfan Khan making their debut for Pakistan owing to their impressive performances in the recently concluded ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 9).
Expressing his views on the series, Babar said: “This five-match T20I series holds a lot of importance for us as we look forward to preparing for the all-important mega-event.”
