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 preserved their chances of winning the five-match T20 series during their tour of New Zealand following their thrilling victory in the third match.
This win has narrowed New Zealand’s lead in the series to 2-1 and opens the possibility of a dramatic turnaround, after a challenging start to Pakistan’s tour.
Al Jazeera examines the series thus far and looks ahead to the fourth match.
What happened in the first two matches of Pakistan’s tour?
New Zealand took a 2-0 series lead while Pakistan struggled in their opening games.
The Kiwis won the first game by nine wickets in Christchurch after dismissing the tourists for 91. Kyle Jamieson was Pakistan’s principal tormentor, taking 3-8 from his four overs and largely contributing to reducing Salman Ali Agha’s side to 11-4 in the fifth over.
Pakistan’s total was the lowest by a Pakistan side in New Zealand.
The second match in Dunedin didn’t bring more joy for Pakistan, as the Kiwis won by five wickets, with a surge of sixes.
How did Pakistan reverse their fortunes against New Zealand?
Dropping captain Mohammad Rizwan and experienced batter Babar Azam from the T20 team added pressure on Pakistan by the third match in Auckland.
Enter Hazan Nawaz, a 23-year-old opener who registered ducks in the first two games, his first taste of international cricket, yet retained his spot in an unusual move.
Nawaz rewarded this faith by scoring an unbeaten 105 in New Zealand’s 207-1 in response to New Zealand’s 204.
New Zealand team news
Matt Henry has been ruled out for the rest of the series due to a shoulder injury.
Zakary Foulkes and Will O’Rourke, who were only initially scheduled for the first three matches, will stay on for the remaining games.
Pakistan team news
Pakistan is expected to name the same team that won the third match for the remainder of the series due to straightforward team management and no new injury concerns.
Where will the final game of the series be played?
The fifth and decisive T20 of the series will be played at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Wednesday.
Head-to-head
This will be the 48th T20 meeting between the teams, with Pakistan winning on 24 occasions and New Zealand on 21.
What comes next for the two teams?
Following the T20 series, Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand will continue with a three-match ODI series. There is then a break in international cricket with many top stars participating in the Indian Premier League.
Pakistan’s next fixtures are in the West Indies in July for a T20 series, followed by an ODI series. New Zealand will resume their games in July with a tour of Zimbabwe.
How to follow the fourth T20 of the series
The game will have live coverage on TVNZ 1, TVNZ+, and Sport Nation NZ in New Zealand. Ten Sports will broadcast the game in Pakistan, and 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, Usman Khan
