New Zealand to tour Pakistan twice in five months during 2022-23 season

New Zealand will tour Pakistan in December-January 2022-23 to play two Test matches and three ODIs. The same was confirmed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday (December 20). The Kane Williamson-led team will return later in the country in April 2023 to play 10 white white-ball matches in order to make up for canceling the Pakistan tour on September 2021.

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The two-match Test series and three ODIs will carry crucial points as they will be part of the World Test Championship (WTC), and Cricket World Cup Super League respectively. On their second visit to the country, New Zealand are due to play five ODIs and five T20Is. The dates are being worked out by both boards.

Earlier, the New Zealand team reached the Rawalpindi Stadium, and just before the start of the first ODI, they withdrew from the tour citing security reasons. The Blackcaps backing away at the last minute didn’t go do down too well with PCB and its chairman Ramiz Raja. However, things seem to have worked out between the two boards, and New Zealand are set to play in Pakistan.

Raja is delighted by the discussions and thanked his counterpart Martin Snedden and its board for the support and understanding that they have shown. "I am pleased with the outcomes of our discussions and negotiations, and thank Martin Snedden and his board for their understanding and support," said PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja, according to Cricbuzz.

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"This reflects the strong, cordial, and historic relations the two boards have and reconfirms Pakistan's status as an important member of the cricket fraternity," he added.

West Indies recently toured Pakistan in December to play six white-ball matches. The three-match T20I series was competed, but the ODIs were not possible due to rising cases in the bio-bubble. Apart from New Zealand, Australia have also confirmed to tour Pakistan in March 2022.