Pakistan to host tri-series with New Zealand, South Africa in February 2025

Staff Report

 LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced that it will host a one-day international (ODI) triangular series with New Zealand and South Africa in February 2025 after a gap of over 20 years. According to a press release issued yesterday, the development came about in a meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and his counterparts from South Africa and New Zealand, Lawson Naidoo and Roger Twose, in Dubai. “The agenda of the meeting included the ODI Tri-series between Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa, to be held in February 2025 in Pakistan, just before the ICC Champions Trophy,” the statement said, adding that the last time the PCB had hosted a tri-series was in October 2004 with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. “The tri-series was finalised and welcomed by the host and both the member boards.” The PCB chairman also extended an invitation to Twose and Naidoo to visit Pakistan. Naqvi said the tri-series would be an “exciting event” and thanked the heads of New Zealand and South African cricket for agreeing to participate. “The PCB is also looking forward to hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 which will be a great pleasure for Pakistan to host the top eight ODI teams on its soil,” he said.

New Zealand to tour next month:

New Zealand will also be touring Pakistan next month to play a five-match T20 International series in Rawalpindi and Lahore, the PCB had announced on Wednesday. According to the PCB, the Blackcaps after arriving in the capital city on April 14 will play three T20s at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on April 18, 20 and 21 which will be followed by the last two games on April 25 and 27 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. All five matches will begin at 7pm Pakistan Standard Time. Tickets of the series will be available at selected TCS outlets and online at pcb.tcs.com.pk. New Zealand’s upcoming series will mark their third tour to Pakistan in a span of 17 months. They had travelled to Pakistan in December 2022-January 2023 to feature in two Tests and three ODIs. In April 2023, New Zealand travelled to Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi to play 10 white-ball matches against Pakistan.