Pakistan will continue their preparations for the T20 World Cup 2024 as they take on New Zealand in a five-match series starting from Thursday. Babar Azam returns as the side’s skipper after he replaced ex-skipper Shaheen Afridi after just one series. Coincidentally, Shaheen’s first and last series as skipper was also against the Kiwis earlier this year.
Pakistan’s trek to T20 World Cup 2024
Players from most teams across the globe are currently taking part in IPL 2024, which is scheduled to go on until a week before T20 WC commences. However, Pakistan have a unique advantage here. The Men in Green will play a series of T20I games ahead of the WC as the gear up for the marquee event. They might be taking on a second-string NZ side in the upcoming series.
After the series against the BlackCaps, they will take on Ireland in a three-match T20I tournament starting from May 10. They will head into the World Cup after completing a four-match series against England that commences on May 22 and ends on May 30.
The team has seen tremendous changes ever since the side’s exit from the ODI World Cup 2023. Babar Azam was replaced as the white-ball skipper by Afridi. The team also attempted to take a new route by naming Shan Masood as the white-ball skipper. However, Pakistan’s experiment failed as they were humiliated by Australia first and then New Zealand.
What would be intresting to see in this upcoming series is the cohesion between old guards Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi. While there are already speculation doing the rounds that these three might not feature in all the five T20Is, it is imperative for Pakistan to have all their star players at their best as they head in the T20 WC.
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Blackcaps disrespect PCB?
As many as 15 top Blackcaps players will be missing the PAK vs NZ T20I series. Many, like Williamson, Ravindra, and Santner, are part of the IPL 2024, but some, including Southee, Tom Latham, and Will Young, are not even part of their contingent in India and have still decided not to travel to Pakistan.
Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
| 18 April | 1st T20I | Rawalpindi |
| 20 April | 2nd T20I | Rawalpindi |
| 21 April | 3rd T20I | Rawalpindi |
| 25 April | 4th T20I | Lahore |
| 27 April | 5th T20I | Lahore |
