Australia takes on New Zealand in the first of its three T20I contests at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
The two will compete for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy but both will no doubt view this series as key preparation for the T20 World Cup in June this year.
MATCH CENTRE: Scorecards, stats and more!
For Australia, there’s several key questions going into the series but none more so than the future of Steve Smith as a T20 player.
The strike rates of Australian batters since July 2020 makes for grim reading for Smith.
The former skipper sits 10th on the list with a strike rate of 116.71, which is a lower figure than the likes of Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis and Matt Short.
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‘You should know this crap!’ | 02:33
MORE COVERAGE
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With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, Smith must make a statement in the T20I series against the Kiwis if he is to retain his spot.
History is also on Australia’s side for the first T20I having won three of its four contests against New Zealand at Sky Stadium.
However, the Kiwis will feel confident having dropped just one of its last eight bilateral T20I series’ on home turf.
TEAM NEWS
Australia XI: To be confirmed
New Zealand XI: To be confirmed
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