New Zealand will tour Pakistan next month, it was announced on Wednesday. The two-Test and three one-day international tour has been confirmed by both the New Zealand and Pakistan cricket authorities. New Zealand selector Richard Hadlee said they had a commitment to world cricket to go to Pakistan after the tour had been postponed amid the US-led war on terror in Afghanistan.

"This tour has been juggled to accommodate everything on the international calendar. We have to go unless there is any good reason for not going," he said. "But security has been guaranteed, there's nothing wrong with touring there and it will be a great cultural experience for our players."

New Zealand are in the middle of a heavy schedule with the Australian and Bangladesh Test series, the one-dayers in Australia and the one-dayers against England behind them. They step into a three-Test home series against England next week, followed by their participation in the Sharjah one-day tournament, then the Pakistan tour, followed by a tour of the West Indies.

New Zealand will tour Pakistan from April 18 to May 13 with day-night one-dayers in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore, and Tests in Lahore and Karachi.

Itinerary
April 18 Arrive from Sharjah
April 21 1st ODI Karachi
April 24 2nd ODI Rawalpindi
April 27 3rd ODI Lahore
May 1-5 1st Test Lahore
May 8-12 2nd Test Karachi

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