PAK VS NZ T20i & ODI Series: Kiwis are all set for the second leg of the tour from April 14 to May 7, 2023. The second leg of New Zealand tour of Pakistan includes five ODIs and T20Is each as Kiwis concluded the first leg including two Tests in January this year.
Both sides have announced their full-strength squads for ODIs and T20Is which will be played on three venues including Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. After the series with Afghanistan, the Pakistan cricket team will be a blend of senior and junior players led by Babar Azam, whereas, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi have also returned to the squad. Shadab will return to his original position as vice-captain.
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Shaheen had missed five Tests and three ODIs against England and New Zealand post the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 due to a knee injury and was completing his rehabilitation after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July.
He had also missed the second Test against Sri Lanka, ODI series against the Netherlands, ACC Asia Cup in the UAE and the seven-match T20I series in Pakistan. Later, the 22-year-old pacer, who has taken 99 Test, 62 ODI and 58 T20I wickets, staged a remarkable comeback in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 8 when he inspired Lahore Qalandars to become the first side to successfully defend the title.
Apart from Shaheen, also returning to both the squads are Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan. All these players had rested for last month’s three-T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah.
Three young guns – Ihsanullah, Saim Ayub and Zaman Khan – have been retained in the T20I squad following stellar performances in Sharjah, while Ihsanullah has also been added to the ODI squad for the first time in his career.
PAKISTAN SQUADS:
T20I: 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 Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir.
Tom Latham-led Kiwis
Wicket keeper batter Tom Latham will lead the guest team for both PAK vs NZ ODI and T20I formats. Latham, who last played a T20I in September will return to the national colours and will take up the leadership role in the absence of New Zealand’s regular captain Williamson.
Kiwis announced a young 15-member squad for the upcoming PAK vs NZ series, whereas, the 15-member T20 squad features potential debutants Chad Bowes and Henry Shipley, along with several players returning to international T20 cricket on the back of strong international and domestic form.
For ODI, two potential debutants Ben Lister and Cole McConchie have joined the Black Caps. McConchie won selection on the back of a strong season, scoring 1140 runs across formats and also picking up eight wickets, while Lister was part of New Zealand’s squad for the recently-concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka but could not make it to the Playing XI.
The 15-man squad also marked further opportunities for recent ODI debutants Chad Bowes, Rachin Ravindra and Henry Shipley. Those new faces are balanced by an experienced core including six members of the squad that made the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Nine players from the squad also have recent experience in Pakistan, featuring in either the Test or ODI Squads that played in Karachi earlier this year.
Debutants Chad Bowes and Henry Shipley were named in the T20 squad, along with several players returning to international T20 cricket.
NEW ZEALAND SQUADS:
T20I: Tom Latham (c, 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.
ODI: Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell, Chad Bowes, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young.
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
Gaddafi Stadium Lahore
Established in 1959, Gaddafi Stadium was previously known as Lahore Stadium and it was renamed in 1974 in honour of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi after he favoured Pakistan’s right to pursue nuclear weapons in the speech he delivered at the 2nd Organisation of the Islamic Conference meeting in Lahore.
It has capacity of 27,000 spectators and is the largest cricket stadium in Pakistan. It is the first stadium in Pakistan equipped with modern floodlights having their own standby power generators, whereas, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is also situated here.
The stadium was renovated during 1995-96 World Cup and was covered with plastic seating rather than concrete benches.
It hosted the first Test on November 21-26, 1959 between Pakistan and Australia, first ODI on January 13, 1978 between Pakistan and England and first T20I on May 22, 2015 between Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
