The timeline of the New Zealand national cricket team vs. Pakistan national cricket team is a long story of competitive cricket, with exciting matches, shocking changes, and events that have changed the history of the sport. These two teams have played each other in Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) since they first met in 1955. Their rivalry is based on skill, strategy, and surprise. This page goes into detail about the history of their meetings, pointing out important events, series results, and how their rivalry has changed up to 2025. Here is a detailed look at the timeline of the New new zealand national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team timeline, along with a table that lists the most important events.
First Meetings: 1955 to 1972
The timeline for the New Zealand national cricket team vs. Pakistan national cricket team started in the 1955–56 season, when New Zealand went to Pakistan to play three Test matches. This was New Zealand’s maiden Test series against Pakistan, and the home team was in charge of the early exchanges. Pakistan won the series 2–0, showing off their spin bowling skills at home. Fazal Mahmood and Zulfiqar Ahmed were important performers for Pakistan, but New Zealand had a hard time getting used to the circumstances.
There weren’t many meetings between the sides during this time. The only other important series was in 1969–70, when Pakistan went to New Zealand. The three-match Test series finished in a tie, with both teams showing strength. New Zealand’s up-and-coming talents, such Glenn Turner, were able to stop Pakistan’s batting, which was led by Hanif Mohammad. These early games set the stage for a rivalry that was competitive but not clearly one-sided.
The 1970s and 1980s: More and more competition
The timeline of matches between the New Zealand national cricket team and the Pakistan national cricket team shows that there were more matches in the 1970s and 1980s as international cricket grew. New Zealand hosted Pakistan for their first ODI in 1972–73. This format would become a big element of their rivalry. Pakistan won the game, which was the first time they had beaten New Zealand in an ODI.
There were some great times in the 1980s, especially in Test cricket. Pakistan won a three-match Test series against New Zealand in 1984–85. The series was played in Pakistan. The Kiwi batsmen had a hard time with Abdul Qadir’s leg spin, but Imran Khan’s leadership brought the home team together. But in the 1988–89 home series, New Zealand came back and won 1–0, thanks to Richard Hadlee’s fast bowling. During this time, the two sides’ strengths became clear: Pakistan’s spin-heavy attack and New Zealand’s speed and toughness.
The 1992 World Cup: A Big Deal
The 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was one of the most famous times in the history of the New Zealand national cricket team vs. Pakistan national cricket side. New Zealand scored a tough 262 in the semi-final, thanks to Martin Crowe’s leadership and batting. Imran Khan led Pakistan in a tough chase, but teenager Inzamam-ul-Haq’s blazing 60 off 37 balls helped them. Moin Khan’s late-game heroics sealed a stunning win that sent Pakistan to the final, where they beat England. This match is still a big part of the rivalry because it shows how good Pakistan is at beating the odds.
New Zealand’s rise and Pakistan’s style in the 2000s
The 2000s were an important moment in the history of the new zealand national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team timeline , as New Zealand became a strong squad. In 2000, New Zealand won the ICC KnockOut Trophy (now the Champions Trophy) in Kenya. They beat Pakistan in the semifinals by 4 wickets in a thrilling chase. This triumph showed how much better New Zealand is getting at limited-overs cricket.
On the other hand, Pakistan did well in bilateral series. Pakistan went to New Zealand in 2003–04 and won the five-match ODI series 5–0. Shoaib Akhtar’s fast speed was too much for the home team. Pakistan beat New Zealand in both Test and ODI forms in the 2009–10 series in the UAE, thanks to great performances by Umar Akmal and Mohammad Asif. These games showed how unpredictable and flashy Pakistan can be, which is frequently very different from how disciplined New Zealand is.
The 2010s: Misbah’s time and New Zealand’s home dominance
Pakistan reached important milestones in the New Zealand national cricket team against Pakistan national cricket team chronology while Misbah-ul-Haq was captain. During their tour of New Zealand in 2010–11, Pakistan won a two-match Test series 1–0, thanks to Misbah’s solid leadership and Younis Khan’s strong batting. In the UAE in 2014–15, New Zealand fought back and tied the Test series 1–1. One of the best parts was Brendon McCullum’s historic 302 in Wellington.
New Zealand’s home supremacy grew in the late 2010s. In 2018–19, they won a remarkable Test series in the UAE against Pakistan (2–1), their first in the area in 49 years. Trent Boult and Kane Williamson stood out, but Pakistan’s batting had a hard time against New Zealand’s fast bowlers. New Zealand beat Pakistan by six wickets in the 2019 Cricket World Cup, which made them even better at winning international competitions.
2020s: Recent fights and the Champions Trophy in 2025
The New Zealand national cricket team and the Pakistan national cricket team have played each other a lot in the 2020s, and the matches have been very close. New Zealand went to Pakistan in 2022–23 for a series that included more than one format. Pakistan won the ODI series 4–1. Babar Azam became the fastest player to reach 5,000 ODI runs, and Fakhar Zaman scored three straight hundreds. New Zealand did win the T20I series, though, 2–1, thanks to Mark Chapman’s first T20I century.
New Zealand went to Pakistan again in 2023–24 and won the T20I series 2–1, even though the tour had to be moved because of safety concerns. In the 2024–25 season, Pakistan battled back and won the fifth T20I by 9 runs in Lahore. New Zealand, on the other hand, won the 2025 ODI series in New Zealand by a score of 3–0. Michael Bracewell’s captaincy, Rhys Mariu’s first ODI fifty, and Will O’Rourke’s four-wicket haul were some of the most important performances. Pakistan’s problems were clear when eight of their players couldn’t get more than ten runs in the second ODI.
The first game of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at Karachi was a big deal in the history of the Nnew zealand national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team timeline . New Zealand scored 320 runs with the help of centuries from Tom Latham (118*) and Will Young (107), as well as a fast 61 from Glenn Phillips. Pakistan lost by 260 runs, even though Babar Azam and Khushdil Shah both scored fifties. Will O’Rourke and Mitchell Santner each took three wickets. New Zealand’s 60-run win over Pakistan was their fourth in a row, showing that they are still the best team.
A look at the numbers and head-to-head
New Zealand and Pakistan have played each other 122 ODIs since 2025. Pakistan has won 61 of them, New Zealand has won 57, three have ended in a tie, and one has not. Pakistan has won 25 of the 60 Tests against New Zealand, while New Zealand has only won 14. Pakistan has a tiny edge in T20Is, with 21 wins to New Zealand’s 17 in 39 matches. These numbers show how competitive the rivalry is, with both sides having times when they were in charge.
|
Year |
Series/Event |
Format |
Result |
Key Performances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–56 |
Pakistan vs New Zealand |
Test |
Pakistan 2–0 |
Fazal Mahmood’s spin dominance |
| 1972–73 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan |
ODI |
Pakistan won |
First ODI between the teams |
| 1992 |
World Cup Semi-Final |
ODI |
Pakistan won |
Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 60 off 37 |
| 2000 |
ICC KnockOut Trophy |
ODI |
New Zealand won |
NZ’s semi-final victory |
| 2010–11 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan |
Test |
Pakistan 1–0 |
Misbah-ul-Haq’s leadership |
| 2014–15 |
UAE Test Series |
Test |
Draw 1–1 |
Brendon McCullum’s 302 |
| 2018–19 |
UAE Test Series |
Test |
New Zealand 2–1 |
First NZ win in UAE in 49 years |
| 2022–23 |
Pakistan vs New Zealand |
ODI |
Pakistan 4–1 |
Babar Azam’s 5,000 ODI runs |
| 2025 |
Champions Trophy Opener |
ODI |
New Zealand won by 60 runs |
Latham (118*), Young (107) |
| 2025 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan |
ODI |
New Zealand 3–0 |
Bracewell, Mariu, O’Rourke shine |
The Legacy of the Rivalry
The schedule of the New Zealand national cricket team vs. Pakistan national cricket team shows how unpredictable and exciting sport can be. The rivalry has had some great moments, notably Inzamam’s heroics in 1992, McCullum’s triple century, and Latham’s unbeaten ton in 2025. It started with Pakistan’s early domination and has since seen New Zealand come back strong. Fans are still interested in this rivalry since both sides have shown strength: Pakistan with their style and New Zealand with their discipline.
New Zealand’s recent wins, especially in the Champions Trophy and ODI series, make it seem like they have the upper hand as of 2025. But Pakistan has a habit of coming back strong, so future matches will still be very competitive. The timeline of the New new zealand national cricket team vs pakistan national cricket team timeline will continue to change, bringing new episodes to this famous rivalry.
