Pakistan National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline

The cricketing narrative of the Pakistan national team in relation to New Zealand is an entertaining story about competition, determination and increasing superiority across all three formats (Tests, One Day Internationals, T20s) over a period of more than seventy years. read more than just interesting moments to form the cricketing narratives of both countries. From the dusty grounds of Karachi in the 1950s to the fast-paced T20 action of the 2020s, the saga of Pakistan vs New Zealand is as compelling through time as it is for its longevity.

Recent Series: Pakistan tour of New Zealand, 2025 – Full Schedule & Match Results

The Pakistan vs New Zealand 2025 series delivered exciting cricket across T20Is and ODIs. New Zealand dominated the T20I series 4-1, with Pakistan managing one strong win in Auckland. In the ODI series, the hosts continued their winning streak, sweeping 3-0 with victories in Napier, Hamilton, and Mount Maunganui. Fans enjoyed thrilling performances, big wins, and rain-affected contests, making the NZ vs PAK 2025 schedule and results memorable.

T20I Series Schedule & Match Results

Date	Match	Venue	Result	Time (IST)
Mar 16, Sun	1st T20I NZ vs PAK	Christchurch	NZ won by 9 wkts	6:45 AM
Mar 18, Tue	2nd T20I NZ vs PAK	Dunedin	NZ won by 5 wkts (15 overs game)	6:45 AM
Mar 21, Fri	3rd T20I NZ vs PAK	Auckland	PAK won by 9 wkts	11:45 AM
Mar 23, Sun	4th T20I NZ vs PAK	Mount Maunganui	NZ won by 115 runs	11:45 AM
Mar 26, Wed	5th T20I NZ vs PAK	Wellington	NZ won by 8 wkts	11:45 AM

ODI Series Schedule & Match Results

Date	Match	Venue	Result	Time (IST)
Mar 29, Sat	1st ODI NZ vs PAK	Napier	NZ won by 73 runs	3:30 AM
Apr 02, Wed	2nd ODI NZ vs PAK	Hamilton	NZ won by 84 runs	3:30 AM
Apr 05, Sat	3rd ODI NZ vs PAK	Mount Maunganui	NZ won by 43 runs (42 overs game)	3:30 AM

Pakistan National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Timeline

Test Rivalry: 1955 to 2025

The rivalry began formally in 1955 when New Zealand travelled to Pakistan for their three-match Test series. At that time Pakistan was a cricketing nation that had recently been formed and they made their mark on the moment by winning 2 and drawing 1 from the three encounters. From this initial contest, the teams came together occasionally over the next two decades which resulted in tours and many drawn matches, through the 1960s.

It was not until the 1970s that the series started to discover competitive balance. Pakistan had great success in 1973 when they won an innings in Dunedin, a great and dominant away win. The rivalry matured in the 1980s and 1990s due to more regular encounters. With old class, legends like Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Inzamam-ul-Haq contributed to Pakistan’s Test match wins while New Zealand was able to component with legends such as Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe and later, Stephen Fleming.

In the 2000s, matches featured more of an even contest. New Zealand won limited matches at home; while Pakistan were extremely successful playing at neutral locations in the UAE, especially in the 2010s. One of the historic low points for Pakistan came in 2016-17 when New Zealand whitewashed the home series 2-0. But in typical seesaw fashion, Pakistan came back with an innings win in the series played in 2018 in the UAE.

The rivalry as of early 2025 is: the two teams have played 62 Test Matches: Pakistan has won 25 Test matches; New Zealand has won 14 Test matches; 23 Test matches have resulted in a draw. The rivalry remains a story of extremes – strong at home, struggling away, classic batting collapses at crucial times, and excellent bowling displays.

ODI Showdowns: World Cup, Drama, and Patterns

The first-ever ODI match played between Pakistan and New Zealand was in 1973. New Zealand emerged victorious in that game but even Pakistan sprang to life in ODIs very quickly, and again, especially in the 1980s and 1990s, their rhythm was apparent. Admittedly, Pakistan’s golden age of ODIs also featured legends, like Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and later, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Anwar, all of whom gave New Zealand’s bowlers troubles.

The most iconic moment of the rivalry was undoubtedly in 1992, at the Cricket World Cup where Pakistan emerged victorious against New Zealand on two separate occasions (once in the group stage and again in the semi-final), elevating them to World Cup Champions. The World Cups between the teams have had high-stakes moments, high drama, and for the most part, Pakistan showing they have the advantage, especially in knockout battles.

Over the years, New Zealand developed their ODI game remarkably well, led by icons like Stephen Fleming, Brendon McCullum, and Kane Williamson; they have become a force to be reckoned with. Since the mid-2000s, New Zealand, especially at home, seemed to turn the tables on the bilateral ODI series and take the upper hand.

Pakistan’s ODI strength had started to diminish between 2003-2025. New Zealand claimed multiple bilateral series up both in their own home and in neutral venues. In 2025, New Zealand further tipped the ODI balance in their favour with a clean sweep of Pakistan on their home conditions.

Even with the fallacious results of the last year, Pakistan still holds a slim advantage with their head to head in ODIs with Pakistan leading 61-57. The competitiveness of each ODI between the two countries has only excited the anticipation for each match even more with only slim margins of victory.

T20I fights: A battle of the modern age

The T20 format of the game provided a new style of competition. The introduction of a T20 clash of the rivalry appeared during the 2007 ICC World T20 where Pakistan defeated New Zealand for their first encounter in the shortest format of the game.

Pakistan quickly dominated New Zealand in the early days of T20 clashes winning key matches in world tournaments in 2009 and 2012.

During the 2010s Pakistan always fought well in T20Is against New Zealand usually winning bilateral series in the UAE. With fast bowlers such as Mohammad Amir as well as spinners like Shahid Afridi and Shadab Khan, Pakistan had successfully restricted New Zealand’s aggressive batting unit.

However, starting in 2020, the trajectory began to change. New Zealand, with a strong batting unit and a whirlwind pace attack, began to put together a streak of wins. New Zealand’s 2024 and 2025 bilateral series in New Zealand showed how much progress they made in their home environment as they started blowing Pie-Cat away with larger margins.

It’s important to note that Pakistan is always (especially on neutral and home soil) a tough opponent for New Zealand. The series in Pakistan 2023 and 2024 were hard-fought, with both teams trading wins. In T20, as of 2025, the head-to-head stands very close, with 24 wins for Pakistan, 23 for New Zealand, and 2 no-results.

Home-Away Comparison

Notable in this long-standing rivalry is the home-away comparison. In almost all home and neutral conditions, Pakistan has clearly dominated New Zealand, whilst at home, New Zealand has reversed their fortunes against Pakistan, particularly in the ODI and T20 formats.

Neutral venues such as the UAE guaranteed Pakistan an advantage in the 2010s, particularly in Test and T20 matches, while New Zealand’s ability to prepare better and adapt on the fly more recently has seen them come out on top, even in subcontinental conditions.

Clashes in ICC Tournaments: High Stakes, High Pressure

Matches between Pakistan and New Zealand at ICC events have always packed a punch. In 1992 and 1999 World Cups, Pakistan beat a strong New Zealand team in big matches. Recent examples include Pakistan winning the 2022 World T20 and 2023 ODI World Cup in knockout and important round matches. Pakistan certainly remains New Zealand’s tormentor in ICC events.

To that end, New Zealand is slowly but surely peeling away at that context, winning the Champions Trophy and in bilateral ICC-related tournaments in the 2020s, with even three in a row in 2025 Champions Trophy and ODI series.

Conclusion: One for the Ages

The cricket rivalry of Pakistan and New Zealand is not defined by toxicity; it is one of respect, one of working professionals, one of thrilling performances by players and teams over generations. Players have made their careers, teams have risen from nowhere, and underdogs have forced their way to superstardom. Both nations have been part of the cricketing landscape long enough to be facing or producing top-quality emerging talent for future development. This rivalry is set to continue developing well into the future.

While the two squads will continue to meet in their upcoming tours and ICC events, cricket fans can expect more good cricket, more nail-biters, and another chapter in a rivalry that is fast becoming one of the most interesting and unpredictable stories in our game.

Pakistan Team Match Scorecards & Timeline: