Category: PAK vs NZ

LAHORE: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam is all set to play his 100th T20I match today as Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the first T20I here at Gaddafi Stadium.

Babar, who is poised to lead Pakistan against New Zealand in the first T20I of the five-match series here tonight, will complete his T20I matches century.

Having made his T20I debut against England in 2016, Babar soon became a crucial part of the national team in the shortest format.

His consistent performances in T20Is propelled him to dethrone India’s star batter Virat Kohli as the top-ranked batter in 2018 and continued to rule the format for the longest period (1155 days).

Following the ouster of former all-format captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Babar was initially given the reins of Pakistan’s T20I side.

Under his captaincy, Pakistan played the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and the finals of the Asia Cup 2022 and T20 World Cup 2022.

In 99 T20Is, Babar has thus far scored 3355 runs – the most for Pakistan – at an average of 41.41. He has scored 30 fifties and two hundred amid his decorated career so far.

The first T20I against New Zealand today will mark Babar’s return to the national side for the shortest format as the star batter was given rest for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

READ: Babar Azam completes two years as top-ranked ODI batter

PAK vs NZ T20I: Cricket fans are eagerly anticipating the New Zealand tour of Pakistan. With a packed schedule of five T20Is and five ODIs, this tour promises to deliver thrilling and captivating cricket action amidst the IPL fever.

‘Exciting Tour’

As the two cricketing powerhouses lock horns in this highly anticipated contest, let’s delve into the details of this exciting tour and what fans can expect from this high-stakes showdown between PAK vs NZ. The first T20i will start today (April 14) at the most iconic Gaddafi Stadium located in Lahore.

Click to Watch PAK VS NZ Live Match at ARY ZAP

Gaddafi Stadium:

The iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has been a witness to numerous historic moments in the world of cricket. It has hosted legendary players such as Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who have etched their names in cricketing history with their remarkable performances on this hallowed ground.

Over the years, the stadium has been the stage for unforgettable matches, including Pakistan’s first-ever Test series win against India in 1955 and the legendary tied Test match between Pakistan and England in 1961, which are etched in the memories of cricket enthusiasts.

The unique architecture of Gaddafi Stadium Lahore is one of its defining features. Inspired by the traditional Mughal era architecture, the stadium boasts a circular design with a majestic red-brick façade and arched entrances, exuding a regal and grand aura.

The lush green outfield and meticulously maintained pitch further add to the stadium’s charm, providing a perfect playing surface for cricketers to showcase their skills.

Pakistan Squad:

T20: 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

ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir

England Squad:

T20I: Tom Latham (c), Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Henry Shipley, Blair Tickner

ODI: Tom Latham (c), Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Chad Bowes, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Henry Shipley, Blair Tickner

PAK vs NZ Schedule:

14 Apr – 1st T20I, Lahore

15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Lahore

17 Apr – 3rd T20I, Lahore

20 Apr – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi

24 Apr – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi

27 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi

29 Apr – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi

3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi

5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi

7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi

LAHORE: Former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur is set to visit the country next week ahead of his formal appointment as a consultant to the national team, disclosed PCB management committee chairman Najam Sethi.  

In an interview with a local cricket website, Sethi revealed Arthur was scheduled to arrive in Lahore on April 18 – amid Pakistan’s home white-ball series against New Zealand.

“Two of the foreign coaches have already arrived in Lahore, while Mickey Arthur is coming on April 18. He will also take charge in one or two matches of the series against the Kiwis,” he told.

“The main purpose of his visit is to prepare his team, train them and brief them. He will also discuss his plans with Babar Azam and other players,” he added.

Sethi also opened up on his preference to rope in foreign coaches rather than former national players and local coaches.

“I stand by my opinion that foreign coaches stay away from politics. They are also usually more professional. Pakistan also has good professional coaches available, but in our culture, friendships carry significant weight in decision-making.” said interim Pakistan Cricket Board  head

In professional cricket, where you compete at the highest level, these things should not be present. It is important to fully embrace professional ethics. Therefore, it is necessary to have foreign coaches,” he maintained.

The Green Shirts are set to take on the visitors Kiwis in five T20 Internationals and as many ODIs from April 14 to May 7 in Lahore.

It may be noted here that PCB recently announced a fresh coaching panel for the Pakistan cricket team for the series against Blackcaps, which included Grant Bradburn and  Andrew Puttick as head and batting coaches, respectively.

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After the recent series with Afghanistan, the Pakistan cricket team will feature a blend of senior and junior players under the leadership of Babar Azam, with the return of Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi to the squad. Shadab Khan will resume his role as the vice-captain.

Shaheen Shah Afridi had been sidelined due to a knee injury, causing him to miss five Tests and three ODIs against England and New Zealand after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022.

He had been undergoing rehabilitation after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July. As a result, he also missed the second Test against Sri Lanka, the ODI series against the Netherlands, ACC Asia Cup in the UAE, and the seven-match T20I series in Pakistan.

However, the 22-year-old pacer, who has an impressive record of 99 Test, 62 ODI, and 58 T20I wickets, made a remarkable comeback in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 8, where he inspired Lahore Qalandars to become the first side to successfully defend the title.

In addition to Shaheen Afridi, several other key players will also be returning to both the ODI and T20I squads for Pakistan. Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan, who had rested during last month’s three-T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah, will be back in action.

Meanwhile, three young talents – Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub, and Zaman Khan – have been retained in the T20I squad following their stellar performances in Sharjah. In a significant development, Ihsanullah has also been added to the ODI squad for the first time in his career, showcasing the team management’s confidence in the emerging players.

PAK vs NZ Schedule:

• 14 Apr – 1st T20I, Lahore
• 15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Lahore
• 17 Apr – 3rd T20I, Lahore
• 20 Apr – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi
• 24 Apr – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi
• 26 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
• 30 Apr – 2nd ODI, Karachi
• 3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
• 5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
• 7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi

LAHORE: Pakistan captain Babar Azam opened up regarding the future of the long-persisted opening pair of him and Mohammad Rizwan, stated that he is not willing to make experiments despite the availability of young top-order batters.

In a pre-series press conference here on Thursday, Babar responded to a question about whether Pakistan will try a new opening pair in the T20I series against New Zealand and shared that there is no such plan to make experiments and the opening pair of him and Rizwan will continue to open the innings for Pakistan in the shortest format.

“There is no such thing that we are going to make experiments. We will continue with my and Rizwan’s opening pair and we will analyze which player is suitable for which particular position and then announce the Playing XI after this practice session,” said Babar.

Pakistan’s captain also commented on Pakistan’s bowling attack and stated that the inclusion of young pacers Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan has further strengthened the attack and shared that the planning is underway to fully utilize the young speedsters.

“Look, the way these two youngsters [Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan] performed in PSL and after that against Afghanistan was outstanding and they got a call-up on the basis of that and because of that our bowling strength bolstered even more,” stated Babar.

“Definitely, we are planning to utilize and establish them because, I said earlier, that we need to test our bench strength and give chances to the youngsters to analyze how we can improve further,” he maintained.

Babar then went on to assert that the national team has the ability to clean sweep the inexperienced New Zealand side, banking on the services of senior and junior players.

READ: Trophy unveiled as Pakistan-New Zealand T20I series begins tomorrow 

LAHORE: The trophy for the PAK vs NZ T20I series has been unveiled on Thursday here at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium.

The glittering trophy was revealed by Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and his New Zealand counterpart Tom Latham as both the captains posed with the trophy.

Watch Live PAK vs NZ T20i in HD Streaming at ARY ZAP

Earlier, both teams were brought to the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore under tight security to partake in the three-hour-long final training session.

According to the details, players from both squads engaged in rigorous batting, fielding and bowling drills to give the final touches to their preparations.

New Zealand tour of Pakistan is comprised of five-match each T20I and ODI series, scheduled to be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Lahore will host the first three PAK vs NZ T20Is, Rawalpindi will host the remaining two T20Is and as many ODIs whereas Karachi to host the last three ODIs.

PAK vs NZ Series schedule:

14 Apr – 1st T20I, Lahore
15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Lahore
17 Apr – 3rd T20I, Lahore
20 Apr – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi
24 Apr – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi
27 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
29 Apr – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi
3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi

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LAHORE: Ahead of the white-ball series, the players from Pakistan and New Zealand squads conducted a broadcast photo shoot wearing respective kits at the team hotel here on Thursday.

In a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the players from both teams can be seen posing for pictures and having fun.

Pakistan players, part of both T20I and ODI squads, posed for photographs in both jerseys.

Taking to Twitter, the PCB shared Behind The Scenes from the teams’ photoshoot.

“BTS vibes. The fun side of the broadcast photoshoot of the two teams,” wrote PCB.

BTS vibes ✨

The fun side of the broadcast photoshoot of the two teams 🎬📸#PAKvNZ | #CricketMubarak pic.twitter.com/OFJ5htb2Br

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 13, 2023

Later today, both sides will engage in the final training session at the Gaddafi Stadium, which will host the first three T20Is on April 14, 15 and 17.

New Zealand’s white-ball tour of Pakistan is comprised of five-match each T20I and ODI series, scheduled to be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Lahore will host the first three T20Is, Rawalpindi will host the remaining two T20Is and as many ODIs whereas Karachi to host the last three ODIs.

LAHORE: New Zealand’s T20I squad took part in the gym training session to prepare for the white-ball series against Pakistan, scheduled to commence on Friday.

The touring side, who were supposed to have a rest day today, went the extra mile to race up their preparations for the assignment and stretched it out in the gym.

The home side, on the contrary, enjoyed a complete rest day.

Stretching it out on day two in Lahore #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/0PCgb1AZyZ

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) April 12, 2023

Meanwhile, both sides will engage in the final training session tomorrow at the Gaddafi Stadium, which will host the first three T20Is on April 14, 15 and 17.

New Zealand’s white-ball tour of Pakistan is comprised of five-match each T20I and ODI series, scheduled to be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Lahore will host the first three T20Is, Rawalpindi will host the remaining two T20Is and as many ODIs whereas Karachi to host the last three ODIs.

New Zealand squads

T20I: Tom Latham (c), Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Henry Shipley, Blair Tickner.

ODI: Tom Latham (c), Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Chad Bowes, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Henry Shipley, Blair Tickner.

LAHORE: Preparations for the upcoming PAK vs NZ T20I series have entered the final stages at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium Lahore (GSL) here.

With Pakistan’s home white-ball season about to kick off with a five-match T20I and ODI series against New Zealand, the preparations are in full swing at the iconic GSL which will host the first three T20Is of the five-match series.

According to the details, the ground staff is working on the outfield, enclosures, stadium building and most importantly on the pitch.

The international and local broadcasting crew has also raced their preparations and have begun installation at the stadium.

Digital boundaries are also being installed whereas large posters of cricketers are also being posted across the stadium.

It is pertinent to mention that the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore will host the first three PAK vs NZ T20Is, scheduled on April 14, 15 and 17.

READ: Batting Coach Andrew Puttick joins Pakistan team’s training camp

LAHORE: Former South African opener and newly-appointed batting coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, Andrew Puttick has joined the ongoing training camp for the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand.

According to the details, Puttick, who was named in the fresh management, named by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier this month.

As per the newly-appointed team management, Grant Bradburn will serve as the head coach and will take up the reins from assistant coach Abdul Rehman, who will fill up the role until the former’s arrival.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan pacer Umar Gul, who was named as the bowling coach in the team’s coaching setup for the recently-held Afghanistan series will continue his new role with the national team.

According to the details, a few changes are expected in the recently-announced management following the arrival of Mickey Arthur.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also confirmed that Bradburn and Puttick have been appointed for the New Zealand tour of Pakistan.

The PCB will confirm the Pakistan team management for the post-New Zealand series following the completion of the relevant recruitment processes, which are presently ongoing.

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