Yet, their recent travails in the subcontinent - where they failed to win any of their last 11 one-dayers and three Tests, spread across each of the three World Cup hosting countries - have left their tournament preparations in disarray, with very little time for new coach John Wright to turn things around.
This series - on spongy, seaming tracks and small grounds - against a Pakistan team in its current state, presents New Zealand with less than ideal preparation for the big event, but it gives them a good shot at ending the slump.
Pakistan don't have the luxury of picking and choosing their venues anymore. Security concerns have prevented them from playing at home. This is Pakistan's second visit to New Zealand in a year, a frequency rarely seen from Asian teams.
PAK v NZ 1st T20I 2010 Live videoTeams: New Zealand v Pakistan
Venue: Auckland
Date: Dec 26-12-2010
Timing: 14:00 local | 01:00 GMT | 12:00 EST | 11:30 CST | 09:00 WSTLive Match Link:
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There is a good chance he will succumb to a rush of blood and leave his backers infuriated, but with Afridi, that truly explosive innings is always around the corner. He failed as an opener in Pakistan's warm-up defeat, but his best innings in the format - the memorable half-centuries in the semi-final and final of the 2009 World Twenty20
New Zealand v Pakistan 1st Test Highlights Video
Pakistan Squad: Shahid Afridi (c), Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Adnan Akmal (wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Tanvir Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan.
India Squad: MS Dhoni( captain/keeper ), Virender Sehwag( vice-captain ), Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, VVS Laxman, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Sachin Tendulkar, Jaidev Unadkat, Murali Vijay, Umesh Yadav.
Watch Pakistan vs New Zealand 1st T20 LIVE Streaming Online
