Numerous New Zealand cricketers are currently participating in the 2023 Indian Premier League in India. While Kane Williamson, who plays for the Gujarat Titans, suffered a terrible injury in the first game of the season, many other Kiwi stars are in the league, including pacemakers Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, and Tim Southee, batters Glenn Philipps and Devon Conway, and pitchers Trent Boult and Tim Southee.

Interestingly, Pakistan will also face New Zealand in a five-match T20I and ODI series that begins today. However, the “Black Caps” have brought a weaker team for the shortest format of the series.

The New Zealand team, which includes a number of new players, is led by Tom Latham. Former Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq wasn’t happy that some of the major New Zealand players skipped the series for the IPL.

Abdul Razzaq mentioned the league and expressed surprise at the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) that New Zealand players received for the IPL

“Firstly, New Zealand should’ve traveled with their strongest squad. Some went to IPL, some were unfit. There’s no interest in the series. When we played Tests, it was their full-strength squad and we saw exciting games,”

Razzaq told Geo News.

“They don’t have strong players right now. It feels similar to the team we sent when we played against Afghanistan. Their terms and conditions are different, their players are busy in the IPL. I don’t know how these guys can get NOCs to play in leagues. The first priority is always the national team. It’s very strange that they’ve traveled with a young team,”

Razzaq further said.

The first of the five T20Is occur at the Gaddafi Arena in Lahore on Friday; After playing two more games in Lahore, the teams will travel to Rawalpindi for the remaining T20Is in the series. Babar Azam will get back to the Pakistan team as their captain, as the hosts field an original capacity crew for the five-match elastic.