SPORTS REPORTER

New Zealand are set to arrive today in two separate contingents for their white-ball tour of Bangladesh, BCB officials confirmed yesterday.

“A small group will arrive in the afternoon, while the majority will come on a second flight at around 11:00pm,” a BCB cricket operations official said.

After a rest day on April 14, New Zealand will hold practice sessions on April 15 and 16 ahead of the first two ODIs on April 17 and 20 at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The third ODI will be held in Chattogram on April 23.

New Zealand are sending a second-string squad for the tour, with most of their regular players currently engaged in the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League.

Bangladesh have named an unchanged squad from their previous home series against Pakistan in March, as selectors opted for continuity. The series presents an opportunity for the Tigers to build on their ODI form -- having won their last two home series against the West Indies and Pakistan -- and strengthen their chances of direct World Cup qualification.