Pakistan vs New Zealand 2022-23

Tests (2): Pakistan 0 (8pts), New Zealand 0 (8pts)
One-day internationals (3): Pakistan 1 (10pts), New Zealand 2 (20pts)

New Zealand's visit to Pakistan, 15 months after their controversial departure on the morning of the first match of their previous visit, was a chance to mend fences as much as an opportunity for both sides to improve their Test form. But while the first part was easily accomplished - there was plenty of goodwill towards the tourists during their three weeks in Pakistan - the second was harder to achieve.

Since it came hot on the heels of a 3-0 drubbing by England - the first time Pakistan had suffered a home whitewash - there should have been intense pressure on Babar Azam and his team. However, the day after England departed, upheaval reigned at the Pakistan Cricket Board. Chairman Ramiz Raja was ousted less than halfway through his term, and Najam Sethi swept back in for another stint: the backstage machinations took up more column space on the sports pages than anything Pakistan might have done on the field.

While England's tour had seen each of the three Tests played in a different city, New Zealand landed in Karachi and stayed there. Multan had been due to host the Second Test, but the smog that visibly affected air quality, and had briefly threatened to delay the start against England, meant the game moved to Karachi, where the sea breeze can help mitigate pollution.

The conversation about Pakistan's pitches is only slightly less tedious than the cricket that ends up being played on them and, in the absence of England's ultra-aggressive brand, it soon became evident quite how turgid Tests on unresponsive surfaces can be. Both matches were drawn and, even though both had exciting climaxes, the first four days of each bordered on the soporific.

The teams chose to counter this in starkly different ways: Pakistan went with pace, New Zealand with spin. It probably didn't help that neither side had a realistic shot of qualifying for the World Test Championship final. Both had lost their previous four Tests, so were reasonably content to stop the rot. In truth, it was only New Zealand who could claim any real progress, dominating both games and making the telling declarations - even though Pakistan's last pair needed only 15 more to win the second game, before the umpires called a halt for bad light.

The one-day internationals that followed the Tests signalled the start of World Cup year. With the 50-over format being pushed to the margins, the build-up to arguably the most prestigious trophy in the sport now represents the only part of the four-year cycle in which ODIs take centre stage. The pitches were on the slow side, but there were few complaints about the quality and excitement of the cricket. It felt appropriate that - on a tour where they landed the more telling punches - New Zealand walked away with a hard-fought 2-1 win.