Live: Black Caps versus Pakistan in T20 at Eden Park

First T20 international: Black Caps v Pakistan; Where: Eden Park, Auckland; When: Friday, 7.10pm; Coverage: Live on TVNZ 1, TVNZ+; live updates on Stuff

Mitchell Santner has been ruled out of the first Twenty20 international between the Black Caps and Pakistan on Friday night.

The all-rounder tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday morning.

In a statement, New Zealand Cricket said he would be monitored over the coming days and would travel by himself to his home in Hamilton, where the second international is on Sunday night.

Friday’s match at Eden Park in Auckland is the first of five meetings in four cities in the space of 10 days between the teams ranked fourth (New Zealand) and third (Pakistan) in the world.

They met in the semifinals of the last World Cup, in Sydney, Australia, in November 2022, with Pakistan prevailing on that occasion.

It should be a hard-fought affair, with another five matches in Pakistan – albeit featuring a Black Caps team missing Indian Premier League players – to follow in April.

Kerry Marshall/Getty Images

Mitchell Santner has been ruled out of the Black Caps’ opening T20 international against Pakistan.

Black Caps: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee

Pakistan: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

The Black Caps and Pakistan have met 34 times in T20 internationals, with New Zealand winning 13, Pakistan 20 and one washout.

On home soil, the Black Caps have won eight of 15.

Friday in Auckland is set to be “uncomfortably warm and muggy” according to MetService. A high of 27C will only ease slightly by the start of the match at 7.10pm.

The Black Caps are paying $1.63 to begin the five-match series with a win, while Pakistan are at $2.23.