Who: New Zealand vs Pakistan
What: Fourth T20I of five-match series
Where: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
When: Sunday at 5:15pm (06:15 GMT)
Pakistan has kept alive their hopes of winning the five-match T20 series in their tour of New Zealand with their stunning win in the third match on Thursday.
It reduced New Zealand’s lead in the series to a 2-1 advantage and throws open the possibility of a dramatic turnaround after a tough opening to Pakistan’s tour.
Al Jazeera looks at the series so far and to the fourth match.
What happened in the first two matches of Pakistan’s tour?
New Zealand stormed into a 2-0 series lead as Pakistan limped through their opening games.
The Kiwis claimed the first game with a nine-wicket win in Christchurch after the tourists were skittled for 91.
Kyle Jamieson was Pakistan’s chief tormentor as he claimed 3-8 off his four overs and played a large part in reducing Salman Ali Agha’s side to 11-4 in the fifth over.
Their total was the lowest by a Pakistan side in New Zealand.
The second match in Dunedin didn’t bring much more joy for Pakistan as the Kiwis stormed to a five-wicket win – propelled by a volley of sixes.
Agha’s side mustered 135-9 batting first, but the opening stand in the chase saw Tim Seifert and Finn Allen hit seven of the first eight scoring shots for sixes.
How did Pakistan reverse their fortunes against New Zealand?
After the surprise move to drop captain Mohammad Rizwan and experienced batter Babar Azam from the T20 side, the pressure was growing on Pakistan by the third match in Auckland.
Enter one of the new generation, Hasan Nawaz.
The 23-year-old opener registered ducks in the first two games – his first taste of international cricket – but held onto his place for the third game, an unusual move in modern-day Pakistan cricket.
Nawaz rewarded the faith with an unbeaten 105 as the tourists raced to 207-1 in response to New Zealand’s 204.
The Islamabad-born right-hander reached the milestone off only 44 balls, the fastest century by any Pakistan player in a T20 international.
CENTURY IN HIS THIRD T20I
Hasan Nawaz smacks the FASTEST T20I hundred by a Pakistan batter, off 44 balls
#NZvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/UTduvlnxM4
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 21, 2025
New Zealand team news
Matt Henry has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20 series.
The seamer missed the final of the Champions Trophy due to a shoulder injury and has stepped out of the squad to continue his rehabilitation.
Zak Foulkes retains his place for the remaining two matches of the series, having only been listed for the first three originally.
Will O’Rourke will also stay on for the final two games, having similarly been scheduled to sit them out, as a replacement for Kyle Jamieson.
The latter was the Player of the Match in the first game of the series but endured a tough time in the third match under Nawaz’s onslaught.
Pakistan team news
Pakistan have a far more straightforward set-up for the remainder of the series and, with no new injury concerns, are expected to name the same team that won the third match of the series.
Along with the dropped Babar and Rizwan, Pakistan were already missing the injured duo of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman for the series.
Where will the final game of the series be played?
The fifth and final T20 of the series, which could well be a decider, will be played at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Wednesday.
Ball striking
Mark Chapman belted his 2nd highest T20I score on his home ground in Auckland on Friday night, however it wasn’t enough as Pakistan kept the series alive ahead of Sunday’s 4th game at Bay Oval.= @PhotosportNZ pic.twitter.com/mh42NXswWm
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 22, 2025
Head-to-head
This will be the 48th T20 meeting between the sides with Pakistan claiming victory on 24 occasions while New Zealand have won 21 of the fixtures.
What comes next for the two teams?
Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand will continue after the completion of the T20 series with a three-match one-day international series.
The international game itself then takes something of a break around the world with many of the top stars competing in the Indian Premier League from late March through mid-April.
Pakistan’s next fixtures are in the West Indies in a three-match T20 series starting in July, followed by a three-match ODI series. New Zealand resume their games in July with a tour of Zimbabwe.
How to follow the fourth T20 of the series
There is live coverage of the game on free-to-air TV in New Zealand on TVNZ 1, TVNZ+ and Sport Nation NZ.
Ten Sports will broadcast the game in Pakistan while Tapmad will carry a livestream.
New Zealand squad
Michael Bracewell (captain), Finn Allen, Mitchell Hay, Tim Robinson, Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman, Zakary Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Jacob Duffy, Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi
Pakistan squad
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan, Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan
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