WHO: New Zealand vs Pakistan
Contents: 4th T20I in the 5 Match Series
Location: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
When: Sunday at 5:15pm (06:15 GMT)
Pakistan continues to live up to its hopes to win a five-match T20 Series on New Zealand’s tour with a spectacular victory in its third match on Thursday.
It cut New Zealand’s lead in the series to a 2-1 advantage, opening up the possibility of a dramatic turnaround after a tough opening to Pakistan’s tour.
Al Jazeera has been paying attention to the series so far and the fourth match.
What happened in the first two matches of the Pakistan tour?
New Zealand was hit by a 2-0 series lead as Pakistan limps throughout the opening game.
Kiwi claimed the first game in which tourists won with nine wickets at Christchurch after being skitted at 91.
Kyle Jamieson is Pakistan’s chief tormentor, who claimed 3-8 from the fourth over and played a major role in reducing Salman Ali Aga’s team to 11-4 in the fifth.
Their total was the lowest on the Pakistani side of New Zealand.
The second match at Dunedin brought Pakistan no more joy as Kiwi was hit by a five-wicket victory.
Aga’s side first called up a 135-9 batting, but in Chase’s opening stand, we saw Tim Seyfert and Finn Allen hit seven of their first eight scoring shots in the sixth.
How did Pakistan overturn their fate against New Zealand?
After a surprising move that dropped Captain Mohammad Rizwan and experienced T20’s batter Babar Azam, pressure was rising in Pakistan in his third match in Auckland.
Enter Hasan Nawaz, one of the new generations.
The 23-year-old opener registered the duck in his first two games (his first taste of international cricket), but held on to his place for the third game. This is a rare move in modern Pakistani cricket.
Nawaz rewarded the faith with an unbeaten 105 as tourists competed 207-1 in response to New Zealand’s 204.
The Islamabad-born right-hander reached the milestone with just 44 balls, the fastest century by the Pakistani players at T20 International.
His third t20i century 🚨
Hasan Nawaz hits the fastest T20I 100 by Pakistani batters and starts at 44 balls 🔥 #nzvpak | #backtheboysingreen pic.twitter.com/utduvlnxm4
– Pakistan Cricket (@therealpcb) March 21, 2025
New Zealand Team News
Matt Henry has been ruled out from the rest of the T20 series.
The sailor missed the Champions Trophy final due to a shoulder injury and left the team to continue rehabilitation.
Zak Foulkes holds his place for the remaining two matches of the series, and is listed in only the first three.
Will O’Rourke will also remain in the last two games that were scheduled to sit down as well as Kyle Jamieson’s replacement.
The latter was a player in the match in the first game of the series, but endured a tough time in the third match under the Nawaz onslaught.
Pakistan Team News
Pakistan has made a much easier setup for the rest of the series and while there are no concerns about new injuries, it is expected to name the same team that won the third match of the series.
Along with Babar and Rizwan who were dropped, Pakistan had already missed the injured duo of Saim Ayub and Fahar Zaman for the series.
Where will the final game of the series be played?
The fifth and final T20 in the series could become the decider and will take place on Wednesday at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
Ball strike 💥
Mark Chapman belted the second-highest T20I score on Auckland’s home ground on Friday night, but that wasn’t enough as Pakistan kept the series alive ahead of Sunday’s fourth match at Bay Oval. 📷= @photosportnz pic.twitter.com/mh42nxswwm– Blackcaps (@blackcaps) March 22, 2025
Head-on
This will be the 48th T20 meeting, where Pakistan claims 24 wins while New Zealand has won 21 fixtures.
What’s next for the two teams?
Pakistan’s New Zealand tour continues after the T20 series was completed in a three-match, one-day international series.
The international game itself then takes a break all over the world, with many of the top stars competing in the Indian Premier League from late March to mid-April.
Pakistan’s next fixture will be in the West Indies with a three-match T20 series starting in July, followed by a three-match ODI series. New Zealand will resume its game in July with a tour of Zimbabwe.
How to follow the fourth T20 in the series
There is live coverage of the game on TVNZ 1, TVNZ+ and Sport Nation NZ’s New Zealand free broadcast television.
Tap Mad will broadcast games in Pakistan while carrying live streams.
New Zealand Team
Michael Braiswell (captain), Finn Allen, Mitchell Hay, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman, Zachary Folkes, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Ish Soddy
Pakistan Team
Salman Ali Aga (captain), Shadav Khan, Abdul Samad, Abral Ahmed, Harris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Kushdir Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Harris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Muhammad Ipfan Ahman Khan
