New Zealand are eyeing a golden opportunity to move closer to place in the maiden Test Championship final with home series against West Indies and Pakistan this summer.
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NZ Cricket announced its 2020-21 international schedule on Tuesday, a run that includes five home T20 matches with Austalia in February and March.
Before that comes the visit of West Indies and Pakistan, both sides ranked below Gary Stead's men.
A long drought from international action, owing to COVID-19, will end on November 27 with a T20 clash at Eden Park in Auckland against the West Indies.
The Black Caps go on to host the West Indies at Hamilton (Dec 3-7) and at Wellington (Dec 11-15) and Pakistan in Tauranga (Dec 26-30) and Christchurch (Jan 3-7).
NZ Cricket got confirmation from the government last week to replicate a quarantine model for international sporting teams, first used by the Wallabies for the two Bledisloe Tests next month.
The sport's governing body will foot the bill for visiting teams' mandatory 14-day isolation, though hopes are high for quarantine-free travel across the Tasman before Australia arrives in February.
New Zealand are currently ranked fourth in the inaugural Test Championship, having beaten heavyweights India at home, drawn to Sri Lanka away and lost to Australia last summer.
The four Tests are sandwiched among 17 short-form matches to be played at seven different grounds.
New Zealand is also hosting the West Indies and Pakistan for three-match T20 series leading into their Tests.
After the five-game series with Australia, the beaten World Cup finalists will play three one-day internationals and three T20 matches with Bangladesh to wrap up their summer.
NZ's women, the White Ferns, will also host England - and subject to confirmation Australia - with dates yet to be finalised.
Australian Associated Press
