New Zealand unveil summer cricket tour schedule

New Zealand Cricket on Thursday announced details of upcoming tours involving Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia, as the Black Caps seek to capitalise on their stirring run to the World Cup final.

The international action over the New Zealand summer will feature four Tests, 11 one-dayers and five Twenty20 matches.

The Black Caps enjoyed a surge in popularity in rugby-mad New Zealand when they reached the World Cup final this year in a tournament they co-hosted with Australia.

While they fell flat against the Australians in the final, captain Brendon McCullum said the upcoming schedule offered home fans a chance to again see their team playing top-class opposition.

"Looking at this schedule, there's some really exciting opposition in front of us," he told reporters.

"So hopefully we can build on what we did last year and also at the World Cup, drive this team forward and keep improving our performances."

Sri Lanka arrive first, playing two Tests, five ODIs and two T20s between December 10 and January 10.

Pakistan then embark on a whistlestop tour involving three T20s and three ODI from January 15-31, with Australia wrapping up the schedule with three one-dayers and two Tests between February 3 and February 24.

The first Test against Australia in Wellington could potentially be McCullum's 100th and the 33-year-old, who suffers chronic back pain, was coy about whether he would consider retirement after reaching the milestone.

"I'm not sure, we'll see what unfolds," he said.

"It'd be great to achieve that, to play 100 Tests. It's something you could look back on and be very proud of, but it's not what motivates me."

 

New Zealand home international schedule 2015/16:

New Zealand v Sri Lanka

December 10-14: 1st Test, University Oval, Dunedin

December 18-22: 2nd Test, Seddon Park, Hamilton

December 26: 1st ODI, Hagley Oval, Christchurch

December 28: 2nd ODI, Hagley Oval, Christchurch

December 31: 3rd ODI, Saxton Oval, Nelson

January 2: 4th ODI, Saxton Oval, Nelson

January 5: 5th ODI, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

January 7: 1st T20, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

January 10: 2nd T20, Eden Park, Auckland

 

New Zealand v Pakistan

January 15: 1st T20, Eden Park, Auckland

January 17: 2nd T20, Seddon Park, Hamilton

January 22: 3rd T20, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

January 25: 1st ODI, Basin Reserve, Wellington

January 28: 2nd ODI, McLean Park, Napier

January 31: 3rd ODI, Eden Park, Auckland

 

New Zealand v Australia

February 3: 1st ODI, Eden Park, Auckland

February 6: 2nd ODI, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

February 8: 3rd ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton

February 12-16: 1st Test, Basin Reserve, Wellington

February 20-24: 2nd Test, Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Source: AFP