WELLINGTON: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) 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 Dec 10 and Jan 10.

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

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

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

Dec 26: 1st ODI, Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Dec 28: 2nd ODI, Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Dec 31: 3rd ODI, Saxton Oval, Nelson

Jan 2: 4th ODI, Saxton Oval, Nelson

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

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

Jan 10: 2nd T20, Eden Park, Auckland

New Zealand v Pakistan:

Jan 15: 1st T20, Eden Park, Auckland

Jan 17: 2nd T20, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Jan 22: 3rd T20, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Jan 25: 1st ODI, Basin Reserve, Wellington

Jan 28: 2nd ODI, McLean Park, Napier

Jan 31: 3rd ODI, Eden Park, Auckland

New Zealand v Australia:

Feb 3: 1st ODI, Eden Park, Auckland

Feb 6: 2nd ODI, Westpac Stadium, Wellington

Feb 8: 3rd ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton

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

Feb 20-24: 2nd Test, Hagley Oval, Christchurch.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2015

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