The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) posted pictures of this warm reception on social media. The Pakistan cricket team received a traditional and heartfelt welcome in Auckland as they arrived in New Zealand for an upcoming bilateral T20I series. A special pōwhiri, a traditional Maori welcome ceremony, was arranged at Auckland's Eden Park to greet both the Pakistan and New Zealand teams.
The Pakistan team traveled from Sydney to Auckland on Tuesday after their Test series against Australia. The highly anticipated five-match Twenty20 International series against New Zealand is set to begin on January 12 and is particularly significant because it will be the debut series for Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain of the Pakistan team, with Mohammad Rizwan serving as his deputy.