Full-strength Pakistan's fiery pace attack take on depleted NZ in T20 series

Shaheen Afridi to play first international game since injury heartbreak in 2022 World Cup final

Pakistan, the 2022 T20 World Cup finalists, are back to full strength with Shaheen Afridi, left, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, right, returning to the squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. AFPShow less

Pakistan will be the overwhelming favourites when they host an understrength New Zealand for a 10-match white-ball series that begins this week.

The team in green will play five T20s, with the first game in Lahore on Friday, and as many ODIs against the Kiwis as they begin a hectic build-up towards the ODI World Cup in India in October and November.

Pakistan have been bolstered by the return of a number of star players, namely captain Babar Azam, wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan, batsman Fakhar Zaman and fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf. They were rested for the recent series against Afghanistan.

In contrast, the Black Caps are missing as many as eight players who are busy in the current Indian Premier League, with Kane Williamson ruled out due to a knee injury. Tom Latham has taken over the captaincy reins, with plenty of opportunity for newcomers to shine.

That will be easier said than done against a Pakistan line-up that is brimming with match-winners.

The 2022 T20 World Cup finalists are not only back to full strength but also have a few exciting young talents – mainly in the pace department.

Ihsanullah – the find of PSL 2023 – will be hoping to bowl alongside pace spearhead Afridi, as well as Rauf and Naseem Shah. Zaman Khan, another tearaway pacer, will be also be aiming to earn a regular spot in the side.

Among the batsmen, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris have shown enough promise to be considered next in line after Azam and Rizwan.

Afridi's return will be his first international match since injuring his knee in the World Cup final. He powered Lahore Qalandars to the 2023 PSL title, shining with bat and ball in the final against Multan Sultans last month.

"We have a good squad that has the exuberance of youth and the experience of senior cricketers," captain Azam said on Thursday.

“The T20 World Cup is over a year away and we will look to utilise the next five games to see where we stand. They will also help us gear up for the crucial five-match ODI series that follows as, more or less, we have the same players in this team and that series will provide us a good opportunity to prepare for the Asia Cup and World Cup later in the year.”

His Kiwi counterpart Latham said the series will be a good opportunity for players on the fringe to stake their claim.

“It is an exciting tour for our side and we know we’re coming up against a quality Pakistan team who will be a huge challenge. We’re obviously missing a few of our senior players, but that’s going to offer opportunities to others and I know the team are really looking forward to testing themselves," Latham said.

New Zealand's interim coach Shane Jurgensen remained confident despite missing almost their entire first-choice squad.

"It will be a quick turnaround from the fantastic series win against Sri Lanka," said Jurgensen of New Zealand's 2-1 T20 victory.

Former spin great Saqlain Mushtaq will be Jurgensen's assistant – just two months after completing his stint as Pakistan's head coach.

"It will be a challenging series," Jurgensen said. "Obviously Pakistan are a fantastic team to play in the white-ball format, so it's a good opportunity to challenge them."

The tour comes as something of a compensation for New Zealand pulling out of their visit to Pakistan on the day of the first game in September 2021, citing security concerns. The Black Caps played two Tests and three ODIs in Pakistan just three months ago.

The remaining four T20 matches are on April 15 and 17 in Lahore, and April 20 and 24 in Rawalpindi. The five-match ODI series begins on April 27.