Pakistan set for NZ challenge

Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan are all set to take on New Zealand in the five-match T20I series starting on Sunday, 16 March.

The first game will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, with the first ball to be bowled at 2.15pm local time.

The second match will be played at University Oval in Dunedin on 18 March, while the third match of the series will be played at Eden Park in Auckland on 21 March. The fourth and fifth T20Is will be played at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui and Sky Stadium in Wellington on 23 and 26 March, respectively.

A three-match ODI series will follow the T20I action and will be played from 29 March to 5 April.

The Pakistan squad arrived in Christchurch on Thursday and held their first training session on Friday afternoon. Before their arrival, the T20I squad underwent a pre-series camp from 7 to 10 March at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.

Pakistan's squad includes three uncapped players – Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Ali – who earned call-ups to the national side following their impressive performances in recent domestic events.

Pakistan have an upper hand over New Zealand in the 44 T20I contests between the two sides with 23 wins while the Black Caps have secured victory in 19 fixtures.

The last T20I series featuring the two sides, which was played in Pakistan in 2024, finished with a 2-2 score-line with one match abandoned due to rain.

Salman Ali Agha, who led the team to a 2-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe in his first series as captain, said: "The team's preparations are going well, and we will try to produce better results in New Zealand. We have some young players in the side, and it is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent at the international level after performing well in domestic cricket."

"We didn't play up to our own standards or the expectations of our fans, which is why they are disappointed. But we have a new team, and that doesn't mean it's not a good team. There are experienced players in the squad as well, and we believe we have a strong combination to play good cricket and win," Salman stated.

Discussing the pitch conditions and team dynamics, the 31-year-old acknowledged the importance of spinners despite the green surface.

He also provided an update on injured players Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub.

"The pitch looks green, but spinners will also get some assistance. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf have performed well in T20 cricket, and we will miss Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, who are key players. Thankfully, they are recovering quickly and should be back in action for the upcoming series," he said.

He also addressed the transition phase in Pakistan cricket, emphasising the need to build new combinations following years of reliance on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

"Babar Azam and Rizwan have contributed a lot to Pakistan cricket, and now we are working on building a new combination. The playing XI has not been finalized yet, but we are confident in our squad and focused on delivering strong performances," he added.

T20I squad - Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan

Player Support Personnel - Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Aqib Javed (interim head coach), Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Mohammad Masroor (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saiman (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Butt (analyst), Irtiza Komail (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media and digital manager) and Sergio Basil Mullins (masseur).