Pakistan and New Zealand are currently playing a five-match T20I series in Pakistan as part of New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan 2023. The series started on April 14 and will end on April 24. The first three matches are being played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, while the last two matches will be held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan have won the first two matches convincingly, taking a 2-0 lead in the series. In the first match, Pakistan scored 184 for 4 in 20 overs, thanks to a brilliant 88 not out by Mohammad Rizwan and a quickfire 53 by Babar Azam. New Zealand were restricted to 146 for 9 in their chase, with Haris Rauf taking four wickets and Shaheen Shah Afridi taking three. Pakistan won by 38 runs.
In the second match, Pakistan batted first again and posted a massive 192 for 4 in 20 overs, with Fakhar Zaman smashing 83 off 49 balls and Saim Ayub scoring 41 off 28 balls. New Zealand could only manage 154 for 8 in their reply, with Zaman Khan taking three wickets and Faheem Ashraf taking two. Pakistan won by another 38 runs.
The third match will be played tomorrow (April 17) at Lahore. Pakistan will be looking to seal the series with another win, while New Zealand will be hoping to bounce back and keep the series alive. New Zealand are led by Tom Latham, who is also their wicketkeeper and opener. They have a relatively inexperienced squad, with many of their regular players missing due to various reasons. Pakistan are led by Babar Azam, who is also their top-order batsman. They have a strong and balanced squad, with most of their star players available.
The series is expected to be an exciting contest between two teams with contrasting strengths and weaknesses. You can follow the live score, schedule, news and more on Bing or ESPNcricinfo. You can also watch the live streaming of the matches on various platforms depending on your location.
