RAWALPINDI, APR 14: The New Zealand cricket team reached Pakistan on April 14 ahead of the five-match series which is set to begin on April 18 in Rawalpindi.

New Zealand’s arrival was confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on their official X, formerly Twitter, handle with the caption: “Welcome to Pakistan, @BLACKCAPS!”

“The New Zealand team has arrived in Islamabad ahead of the Bank Alfalah Presents Jazz Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I Series 2024.”

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The five-match series is crucial for both teams as it will provide a great chance to analyse their squads ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, which begins on June 1.

Remember, in New Zealand’s last training session before leaving for Pakistan, two of their key players, Finn Allen and Adam Milne, sustained injuries and were ruled out of the series.

Allen sustained a back injury while Milne felt discomfort in his ankle after which it was decided to exclude them from the squad.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell and all-rounder Zak Foulkes were named replacements for two players. The former has previously visited Pakistan while the latter will be making his debut for the Black Caps.

It is worth mentioning that most of the players in the New Zealand squad are not part of their first team as key players like Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryll Mitchell and others are engaged in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Pakistan squad
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad:
Michael Bracewell (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi

Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule
April 18 — 1st T20I, Rawalpindi

April 20 — 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 21 — 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 25 — 4th T20I, Lahore

April 27 — 5th T20I, Lahore