Cricket: Black Caps tour v Pakistan revealed

The Black Caps tour to Pakistan later in the year has been revealed.

The first tour under new coach Gary Stead sees the side play three Twenty20s, three ODIs and three tests.

They will made the trip between Abu Dhabi and Dubai six times with the two venues sharing matches for the tour.

New Zealand Cricket turned down a request from Pakistan Cricket to play the games in Pakistan.

The Pakistan board had suggested New Zealand play the T20 leg in Pakistan. Their last visit to Pakistan was in 2003 when they were flogged 5-0 in an ODI series. A year earlier a bomb blast near their hotel cut short their test visit.

Since the Sri Lankan team bus was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009, visits to Pakistan have been sporadic, short, heavily-fortified engagements against a handful of teams, totally nine T20s and three ODIs from 2015 until April when the West Indies were there in Karachi for three T20s.

Security concerns remain the major issue for countries invited to Pakistan.

New Zealand Tour to Pakistan 2018 in UAE

31 October, 1st T20I – New Zealand v Pakistan, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
2 November, 2nd T20I – New Zealand v Pakistan, Dubai International Stadium
4 November, 3rd T20I – New Zealand v Pakistan, Dubai International Stadium
7 November, 1st ODI – New Zealand v Pakistan, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
9 November, 2nd ODI – New Zealand v Pakistan, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
11 November, 3rd ODI – New Zealand v Pakistan, Dubai International Stadium
16 November-20 November - 1st Test Match – New Zealand v Pakistan, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
24 November – 28 November - 2nd Test Match – New Zealand v Pakistan, Dubai International Stadium
3 December – 7 December - 3rd Test Match – New Zealand v Pakistan, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi