New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson praised the Pakistan cricket team ahead of the five-match T20I series which is set to begin on January 12 in Auckland.
Williamson, who led New Zealand to the 2021 T20 World Cup final, stated the matches against Pakistan are always competitive.
“Pakistan is one of the best teams in the world, playing against them is always a fantastic opportunity,” Williamson said.
“Before the 2022 T20 World Cup, they played a tri-series here [In New Zealand] and won. It will be a great opportunity for our players.”
It must be noted that after skipper Babar Azam stepped down as the captain of all formats, Shaheen Shah Afridi was named the skipper of the shortest format by the PCB.
Shaheen — who is considered one of the finest bowlers in the world, especially with the new ball — will have his first assignment as captain against the runner-ups of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Squads
Pakistan: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (vc/wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain) [matches 1, 2, 4 and 5], Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson [match 3 only], Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson [matches 3, 4 and 5], Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears [matches 1 and 2], Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee
Schedule of Pakistan’s 2024 tour to New Zealand
First match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 12 January, Auckland
Second match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 14 January, Hamilton
Third match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 17 January, Dunedin
Fourth match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 19 January, Christchurch
Fifth match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 21 January, Christchurch.
- Kane Williamson