The New Zealand Cricket Board has announced the schedule for New Zealand T20I Tri-Series. According to the schedule, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh will participate in the event. The Tri-Series will run from October 7 to October 14. The T20 World Cup 2022 will begin on October 16. The series will serve as a great chance for the three sides to set up their team combinations before the mega event. Moreover, the Asian sides Bangladesh and Pakistan will get exposure to playing on the New Zealand pitches which are similar to the Australian tracks.
We have witnessed the patterns where Asian sides fail to settle their feet in tough conditions. However as cricket has evolved in recent times, the pitches which support the batters are preferred. The New Zealand grounds have seen high-scoring games due to the small boundaries. The Tri-Series games will be epic for the cricket fans as all three sides have quality players in their sides.
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New Zealand T20I Series: Spectacular Competition Expected
Bangladesh needs to up its game before the huge cricket carnival. Bangladesh stands 9th in the T20 International rankings. It has failed to make any big impact in the format. In the last T20 World Cup 2021, Bangladesh was eliminated in the group stages. Pakistan has numerous star players in its line-up. It is the most successful team in the T20I format. The side has players who have their names in the top 10 rankings. Pakistan is one of the most difficult teams to beat on its day. New Zealand has a home advantage in the New Zealand T20I Tri-Series. It has players who follow the textbook modern-era dynamics of the game. Indeed, the Black Caps have cricketers who are skilled in all departments of the game, batting, bowling and fielding. It is going to be a spectacular contest for sure!
New Zealand T20I Series: The Schedule
Before leaving for Christchurch to play the New Zealand T20I series, Pakistan will play the 7-match T20I series against England at home. Pakistan will reach New Zealand on October 5. The Tri-Series will start with the match between the Asian countries Bangladesh and Pakistan on October 7 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. The final between the two best sides of the event is on October 14 at Christchurch. However, do you want to know which team has the highest number of chances of winning the event? If yes, then you could go to the best online cricket sportsbook sites in New Zealand to find out the odds.
Full Schedule
Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Friday, 07 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
New Zealand vs Pakistan, Saturday, 08 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Sunday, 09 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
New Zealand vs Pakistan, Tuesday, 11 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
New Zealand vs Bangladesh, Wednesday, 12 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Thursday, 13 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
TBA vs TBA, Friday, 14 October, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Bonus Analysis
Let’s discuss which team I think looks strong and has a fine number of chances to win the New Zealand T20I Tri-Series. New Zealand is hosting the event and the advantage it has is evident on paper. In the T20 World Cup 2021, the BlackCaps reached the final of the event. Moreover, it lost only two games in the World Cup campaign. Players like Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson in the top-order escalate the chances of New Zealand scoring big in-game. However, we cannot rule out the unpredictability factor of Pakistan.
Yes! T20 is itself an unpredictable format but Pakistan has a knack for demonstrating astonishing displays when it is not a favorite for the tournament. Although I am not ruling out Bangladesh completely! Yes, the quality players like Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Raheem and Shakib Al Hasan are seasoned T20I stars but the side might need time to settle things in Australia and New Zealand.
Winner: Pakistan
Pakistan will play the New Zealand T20I-Series after participating in the Asia Cup 2022 and playing 7 T20 Internationals against England. Following the match practice of 10+ games, Pakistan is likely to have a settled squad in the series. The role of Fakhar Zaman could be vital in the New Zealand T20I Tri-Series. Although, I am not underestimating the factor of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam opening the game and scoring big. But the pitches of Christchurch are fast and players need to go play aerial shots and take risks at times.
Zaman is the man to do it. Martin Guptill could find it tough dealing with the classic in-swinger of Shaheen Afridi in the opening overs. The small boundaries are ideal for the players like Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmad to demonstrate their classic hard-hitting skills. Haris Rauf is fast. He might bowl his best fireballs comprising of astonishing bouncers and yorkers towards the opposition. The left-arm mysterious spin delivery of Mohammad Nawaz could strike the pads of Mahmudullah. All set for Pakistan to surprise the host and win the New Zealand T20I series.
Runners-Up: New Zealand
There is no fact denying that New Zealand is the favorite to win the New Zealand T20I Tri-Series because of the home advantage. They are likely to give a huge tough time to Pakistan and Bangladesh in the series. Guptill is capable of striking the ball all over the park. Furthermore, the classic display of Kane Williamson is steady but attracts a fast flow of runs. He likes to hit in the gaps to grab boundaries for his team. Do not forget the class of Daryl Mitchell who shocked the cricketing world with his phenomenal batting display in the semi-finals. Undoubtedly, he can play reliable innings for New Zealand at the top to guide BlackCaps towards getting the big totals.
Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert and James Neesham are wonderful hard-hitting batsmen who can produce spectacular aggressive displays at the home ground. The bowling attack of the Black Caps is one of the best bowling attacks in the world. Surely, the duo of Tim Southee and Adam Milne can strike the middle stumps of the batters like Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. It’s just that I feel New Zealand choked in the final games. Keeping in perspective the scintillating display of Pakistan, the same is likely to happen again.
