Close on the heels of their first-ever whitewash at home after England ran rampant in the just concluded 3-Test series, Pakistan host defending ICC Men’s World Test Champions New Zealand for the first bilateral Test series between the sides in more than 20 years.
The two-match Test series which begins Monday (Boxing Day), 26th December 2022 in Karachi will be followed by 3 ODIs (ICC Super League) and 5 T20Is.
This is a second shot series after the Kiwis pulled out of their white-ball tour due to security concerns last year and will be hosted over 2 legs – the second (T20Is) of which will be played from April 13 to May 7, 2023.
A new look New Zealand side sees Kane Williamson step down as Test captain and veteran pacer Tim Southee lead. This will be Williamson’s first series not as New Zealand captain since February 2016 but will remain white-ball skipper on the tour. Legspinner Ish Sodhi, who last played a Test match four years ago has been recalled, the uncapped Blair Tickner, and Glenn Phillips, who has one Test cap, have also made it to the touring party.
Trent Boult, who is no longer on a New Zealand central contract, had made himself unavailable for selection for the tour, and Kyle Jamieson was unavailable because he is still recovering from a back injury.
The hosts get into this contest pretty low on morale after a humiliating series defeat by England that saw Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja sacked a day after. Babar Azam will lead a team that includes recalled fast bowler Hasan Ali, uncapped middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam and returning Naseem Shah, who missed the last two Tests against England with a shoulder injury.
Shaheen Shah Afridi misses out again as he recovers from a knee injury he picked up in the 2022 T20 World Cup final as will Haris Rauf, who had picked up an injury on debut in the first Test against England and did not play in the next two matches.
Head-to-Head
Tests
Total – 39 | Pakistan – 25 | New Zealand – 14
ODIs
Total – 104 | Pakistan – 55 |New Zealand – 48
T20Is
Total – 29 | Pakistan – 18 |New Zealand – 11
Schedule
Tests
1st Test – December 26, National Stadium, Karachi
2nd Test – January 3, 2023, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
ODIs
1st ODI – January 10, National Stadium, Karachi
2nd ODI – January 12, Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
3rd ODI – January 14, National Stadium, Karachi
🏏 Squads
Tests
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Zahid Mehmood
New Zealand: Tim Southee (c), Michael Bracewell, Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson, Will Young
ODIs
Pakistan: Yet to be announced
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
