New Zealand In Talks To Tour Pakistan For White-Ball Series Ahead Of T20 World Cup
Published - 27 Jun 2021, 01:12 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:48 AM
The newly-crowned World Test Champions New Zealand are likely to tour Pakistan for limited-overs series just before the T20 World Cup to prepare for the tournament which is likely to be held in the UAE.
Both the boards are in discussions about the tour, and if it goes through, it would New Zealand’s first tour to Pakistan since 2003, when they were white-washed in the five-match ODI series.
“Our intention is to tour Pakistan, and we’re working through that with [the PCB], and Government agencies. All going well, ensuring that we satisfy all the security arrangements which I’m confident we will do, we will be touring Pakistan,” David White, the chief executive of NZC, was quoted as saying in stuff.co.nz.
Pakistan are already slated to host England before the multinational mega-event, and a visit from the Black Caps would help them also prepare better for the T20 World Cup.
As far as New Zealand are concerned, Kane Williamson’s side is already booked for a packed schedule this year for the second ICC WTC cycle. They are supposed to tour India, whom they defeated in the final, right after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, before hosting Bangladesh and South Africa for more red-ball matches.
Also, before the T20 World Cup, few key players from the white-ball side, such as skipper Kane Williamson himself, Trent Boult, James Neesham, Lockie Ferguson will feature in the second phase of the IPL 2021 in the UAE, confirmed White.
“There’s a lot of moving parts right now, but ideally we would allow our guys to play in the IPL,” White said.
New Zealand have been involved in a couple of finals, different feeling being on the right side: Kane Williamson
After the victory in Southampton, captain Kane Williamson remembered the two lost final – the 2015 and 2019 World Cup – and said that the feeling of finally being on the right side of the results is “slightly different”.
“It’s a very special occasion and a fantastic feeling. We’ve been involved in a couple of finals previously, and I suppose the first one [2015] was one-sided, the second one was pretty interesting, and this feeling is a bit different to those, which is great. I know the guys will celebrate that,” Williamson said.“2019 was a great occasion and a brilliant game of cricket as well,” he added. “But obviously it’s a slightly different feeling, being on the right side of the result for us, and also a part of a great game of cricket and a great occasion, the first official World Test Championship. This is a really good feeling.”
