BSS, Dhaka
The New Zealand cricket team arrived in Bangladesh on Tuesday to play a five-match T20 series, which is their first tour in this country since 2013. After departing from Auckland on Monday, the Kiwis landed in Dhaka around 12 noon yesterday.
Earlier, Australia, who also visited here for a five-match T20 series, left for the hotel straight from the runway of the airport. However, New Zealand was not so demanding. The New Zealand cricketers went to the hotel after immigration as per normal rules. They will be in quarantine for three days as per the rules of the biosecure bubble.
This is the last series of Bangladesh before the T20 World Cup. The New Zealand squad, however, does not have anyone who will play the T20 World Cup for the country.
The team is being led by Tom Latham who himself played his last T20 match in 2016. Three members of the New Zealand team have not yet made their international debuts.
Today 13 members of the New Zealand squad came to Dhaka. Batsman Finn Allen and all-rounder Colin De Grandhome have already arrived in Dhaka. They came to Dhaka on August 20 after playing.
The Hundred in England. Then they quarantined at the hotel. Earlier, a three-member inspection team of New Zealand cricket arrived on August 17. They are still in Bangladesh and will leave the country with the team after the end of the series.
While it is New Zealand’s first tour in Bangladesh since 2013, the Tigers meantime have visited New Zealand three times.
Bangladesh indeed played a limited overs series that included three ODIs and three T20Is in New Zealand earlier this year.
Bangladesh so far played T20 Internationals against the Kiwis and lost all of them. Emboldened by their 4-1 victory over Australia, they are however confident to win the first bilateral T20 series against New Zealand this time.
Earlier in the last two times at home, Bangladesh white-washed New Zealand in ODI series in 2010 (4-0) and 2013 (3-0).
New Zealand were scheduled to visit Bangladesh last year to play two Test matches under the ICC World Test Championship. But the visit was postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic.
The Black Caps were scheduled to play a warm-up match in BKSP on August 29. Later they skipped the idea of playing a practice game as they don’t want to go outside Dhaka to maintain strict bio-bubble rules.
Meanwhile, all the members of the Bangladesh team will enter into the bio-bubble today.
The first of the five-match series will be on September 1. The next four matches are scheduled to be held on September 3, 5, 8 and 10.
All of the matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The matches are scheduled to start at 4 pm Bangladesh time. The match of the Australia series started at 6 pm, but this time the match timing was brought forward for the sake of the New Zealand spectators back in the country.
