ABU DHABI // New Zealand will be this cricket season’s second international visitors, taking on Pakistan in a full series in the UAE from November.
They will follow their neighbours from across the Tasman Sea, Australia, who arrive to take on Pakistan in October.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released the schedule yesterday for a series of three Tests, one T20 and five ODIs.
Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah will each host a Test, Dubai will host the solitary T20 and an ODI, while Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will share the remaining four 50-over games.
Sharjah will also stage a three-day warm-up game between the tourists and a Pakistan ‘A’ side before the Test series.
It will be New Zealand’s second visit to the UAE for an international series (other than their visits to Sharjah in the 1990s) against Pakistan.
They played a limited overs series in the UAE in November 2009 before then playing the Test series against Pakistan in New Zealand.
The New Zealand visit makes it a third winter in a row in the UAE where two major international series have been staged.
In 2011-12, Sri Lanka and England took on Pakistan while last winter South Africa and Sri Lanka toured.
Pakistan have staged all their home commitments since 2009 in the UAE, after terror attacks on the Sri Lanka side in Lahore in March 2009 effectively brought international cricket in Pakistan to a halt.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
