# International cricket in 1996–97

The 1996–1997 international cricket season was from September 1996 to April 1997.

## Season overview

International tours :
| Start date | Home team | Away team | Results [Matches] | Results [Matches] | Results [Matches] | Results [Matches] |
| Start date | Home team | Away team | Test | ODI | FC | LA |
| 10 October 1996 | India | Australia | 1–0 [1] | — | — | — |
| 17 October 1996 | Pakistan | Zimbabwe | 1–0 [2] | 3–0 [3] | — | — |
| 20 November 1996 | India | South Africa | 2–1 [3] | 1–0 [1] | — | — |
| 21 November 1996 | Pakistan | New Zealand | 1–1 [2] | 2–1 [3] | — | — |
| 22 November 1996 | Australia | West Indies | 3–2 [5] | — | — | — |
| 18 December 1996 | Zimbabwe | England | 0–0 [2] | 3–0 [3] | — | — |
| 26 December 1996 | South Africa | India | 2–0 [3] | — | — | — |
| 24 January 1997 | New Zealand | England | 0–2 [3] | 2–2 [5] | — | — |
| 15 February 1997 | Zimbabwe | India | — | 1–0 [1] | — | — |
| 28 February 1997 | South Africa | Australia | 1–2 [3] | 3–4 [7] | — | — |
| 6 March 1997 | West Indies | India | 1–0 [5] | 3–1 [4] | — | — |
| 7 March 1997 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | 2–0 [2] | 1–1 [2] | — | — |
| 19 April 1997 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | 0–0 [2] | — | — | — |
| International tournaments |||||||
| Start date | Tournament | Tournament | Tournament | Tournament | Winners | Winners |
| 28 September 1996 | Sameer Cup 1996–97 | Sameer Cup 1996–97 | Sameer Cup 1996–97 | Sameer Cup 1996–97 | South Africa | South Africa |
| 17 October 1996 | Titan Cup | Titan Cup | Titan Cup | Titan Cup | India | India |
| 7 November 1996 | 1996–97 Singer Champions Trophy | 1996–97 Singer Champions Trophy | 1996–97 Singer Champions Trophy | 1996–97 Singer Champions Trophy | Pakistan | Pakistan |
| 6 December 1996 | 1996–97 Carlton and United Series | 1996–97 Carlton and United Series | 1996–97 Carlton and United Series | 1996–97 Carlton and United Series | Pakistan | Pakistan |
| 23 January 1997 | 1996-97 Standard Bank International One-Day Series | 1996-97 Standard Bank International One-Day Series | 1996-97 Standard Bank International One-Day Series | 1996-97 Standard Bank International One-Day Series | South Africa | South Africa |
| 3 April 1997 | 1996–97 Singer Akai Cup | 1996–97 Singer Akai Cup | 1996–97 Singer Akai Cup | 1996–97 Singer Akai Cup | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka |

## September
### KCA Centenary Tournament 1996-97

| Place | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | NetRR |
| 1 | South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1.518 |
| 2 | Pakistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0.498 |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0.496 |
| 4 | Kenya | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -2.396 |
Group stage :
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1120 | 28 September | Kenya | Maurice Odumbe | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi | Sri Lanka by 7 wickets |
| ODI 1121 | 29 September | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi | South Africa by 62 runs |
| ODI 1122 | 1 October | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Nairobi Club Ground, Nairobi | Sri Lanka by 2 wickets |
| ODI 1123 | 2 October | Kenya | Maurice Odumbe | Pakistan | Saeed Anwar | Aga Khan Sports Club Ground, Nairobi | Pakistan by 4 wickets |
| ODI 1124 | 3 October | Kenya | Maurice Odumbe | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi | South Africa by 202 runs |
| ODI 1125 | 4 October | Pakistan | Saeed Anwar | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi | Pakistan by 82 runs |
| Final |||||||||
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1126 | 6 October | Pakistan | Saeed Anwar | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi | South Africa by 7 wickets |

## October
### Australia in India

Border–Gavaskar Trophy Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1335 | 10–13 October | Sachin Tendulkar | Mark Taylor | Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi | India by 7 wickets |

### Zimbabwe in Pakistan

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1336 | 17–21 October | Wasim Akram | Alistair Campbell | Sheikhupura Stadium, Sheikhupura | Match drawn |
| Test 1337 | 24–26 October | Wasim Akram | Alistair Campbell | Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad | Pakistan by 10 wickets |
| ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1133 | 30 October | Wasim Akram | Alistair Campbell | Bugti Stadium, Quetta | Pakistan by 3 wickets |
| ODI 1135 | 1 November | Wasim Akram | Alistair Campbell | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | Pakistan by 9 wickets |
| ODI 1136 | 3 November | Wasim Akram | Alistair Campbell | Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar | Pakistan by 78 runs |

### Titan Cup 1996-97

| Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
| South Africa | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | +0.478 |
| India | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | –0.289 |
| Australia | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | –0.296 |
Group stage :
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1127 | 17 October | India | Sachin Tendulkar | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad | South Africa by 47 runs |
| ODI 1128 | 19 October | Australia | Mark Taylor | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Nehru Stadium, Indore | South Africa by 7 wickets |
| ODI 1129 | 21 October | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Australia | Mark Taylor | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore | India by 2 wickets |
| ODI 1130 | 23 October | India | Sachin Tendulkar | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | South Africa by 27 runs |
| ODI 1131 | 25 October | Australia | Mark Taylor | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Nahar Singh Stadium, Faridabad | South Africa by 2 wickets |
| ODI 1131a | 27 October | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Australia | Mark Taylor | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | Match abandoned |
| ODI 1132 | 29 October | India | Sachin Tendulkar | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot | South Africa by 5 wickets |
| ODI 1134 | 1 November | Australia | Mark Taylor | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Nehru Stadium, Guwahati | South Africa by 8 wickets |
| ODI 1137 | 3 November | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Australia | Mark Taylor | Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | India by 5 runs |
| Final |||||||||
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1138 | 6 November | India | Sachin Tendulkar | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | India by 35 runs |

## November
### Singer Champions Trophy 1996-97

| Team | P | W | L | T | NR | NRR | Points |
| Pakistan | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.174 | 6 |
| New Zealand | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.025 | 3 |
| Sri Lanka | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.151 | 3 |
Group stage :
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1139 | 7 November | New Zealand | Lee Germon | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | New Zealand by 29 runs |
| ODI 1140 | 8 November | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Sri Lanka by 75 runs |
| ODI 1141 | 10 November | New Zealand | Lee Germon | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Pakistan by 4 wickets |
| ODI 1142 | 11 November | New Zealand | Lee Germon | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Match tied |
| ODI 1143 | 12 November | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Pakistan by 8 wickets |
| ODI 1144 | 13 November | New Zealand | Lee Germon | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Pakistan by 4 wickets |
| Final |||||||||
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1145 | 15 November | New Zealand | Lee Germon | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Pakistan by 41 runs |

### South Africa in India

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1338 | 20–23 November | Sachin Tendulkar | Hansie Cronje | Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad | India by 64 runs |
| Test 1341 | 27 November-1 December | Sachin Tendulkar | Hansie Cronje | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | South Africa by 329 runs |
| Test 1344 | 8–12 December | Sachin Tendulkar | Hansie Cronje | Green Park Stadium, Kanpur | India by 280 runs |
| One-off ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1151 | 14 December | Sachin Tendulkar | Hansie Cronje | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | India by 74 runs |

### New Zealand in Pakistan

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1339 | 21–24 November | Saeed Anwar | Lee Germon | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | New Zealand by 44 runs |
| Test 1342 | 28 November-1 December | Saeed Anwar | Lee Germon | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi | Pakistan by an innings and 13 runs |
| ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1146 | 4 December | Wasim Akram | Lee Germon | Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala | Pakistan by 11 runs |
| ODI 1148 | 6 December | Wasim Akram | Lee Germon | Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot | Pakistan by 46 runs |
| ODI 1150 | 8 December | Wasim Akram | Lee Germon | National Stadium, Karachi | New Zealand by 7 wickets |

### West Indies in Australia

Frank Worrell Trophy - Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1340 | 22–26 November | Mark Taylor | Courtney Walsh | The Gabba, Brisbane | Australia by 123 runs |
| Test 1343 | 29 November-3 December | Mark Taylor | Courtney Walsh | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | Australia by 124 runs |
| Test 1346 | 26–28 December | Mark Taylor | Courtney Walsh | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | West Indies by 6 wickets |
| Test 1352 | 25–28 January | Mark Taylor | Courtney Walsh | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | Australia by an innings and 183 runs |
| Test 1353 | 1–3 February | Mark Taylor | Courtney Walsh | WACA Ground, Perth | West Indies by 10 wickets |

## December
### 1996–97 Carlton and United Series 1996-97

| Pos | Team | P | W | L | NR | T | Points | NRR |
| 1 | West Indies | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | −0.003 |
| 2 | Pakistan | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +0.109 |
| 3 | Australia | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | −0.103 |
Group stage :
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1147 | 6 December | Australia | Mark Taylor | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | Australia by 5 wickets |
| ODI 1149 | 8 December | Australia | Mark Taylor | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | Australia by 8 wickets |
| ODI 1152 | 15 December | Australia | Mark Taylor | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | Pakistan by 12 runs |
| ODI 1154 | 17 December | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | West Indies by 7 wickets |
| ODI 1155 | 1 January | Australia | Mark Taylor | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | Pakistan by 4 wickets |
| ODI 1157 | 3 January | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | The Gabba, Brisbane | West Indies by 6 wickets |
| ODI 1159 | 5 January | Australia | Mark Taylor | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | The Gabba, Brisbane | West Indies by 7 wickets |
| ODI 1160 | 7 January | Australia | Mark Taylor | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Bellerive Oval, Hobart | Pakistan by 29 runs |
| ODI 1161 | 10 January | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | WACA Ground, Perth | West Indies by 5 wickets |
| ODI 1162 | 12 January | Australia | Mark Taylor | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | WACA Ground, Perth | West Indies by 4 wickets |
| ODI 1163 | 14 January | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | West Indies | Carl Hooper | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | Pakistan by 8 wickets |
| ODI 1164 | 16 January | Australia | Mark Taylor | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | Australia by 3 wickets |
| Finals |||||||||
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1165 | 18 January | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | West Indies | Carl Hooper | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney | Pakistan by 4 wickets |
| ODI 1166 | 20 January | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | West Indies | Courtney Walsh | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | Pakistan by 62 runs |

### England in Zimbabwe

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1345 | 17–21 December | Alistair Campbell | Mike Atherton | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | Match drawn |
| Test 1348 | 26–30 December | Alistair Campbell | Mike Atherton | Harare Sports Club, Harare | Match drawn |
| ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1153 | 15 December | Alistair Campbell | Mike Atherton | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | Zimbabwe by 2 wickets |
| ODI 1156 | 1 January | Alistair Campbell | Mike Atherton | Harare Sports Club, Harare | Zimbabwe by 7 runs |
| ODI 1158 | 3 January | Alistair Campbell | Mike Atherton | Harare Sports Club, Harare | Zimbabwe by 131 runs |

### India in South Africa

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1347 | 26–28 December | Hansie Cronje | Sachin Tendulkar | Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban | South Africa by 328 runs |
| Test 1349 | 2–6 January | Hansie Cronje | Sachin Tendulkar | Newlands Cricket Ground, Durban | South Africa by 282 runs |
| Test 1350 | 16–20 January | Hansie Cronje | Sachin Tendulkar | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Match drawn |

## January
### Standard Bank International One Day Series 1996-97

| Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | Pts | NRR |
| South Africa | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0.393 | 12 |
| India | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | −0.178 | 3 |
| Zimbabwe | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | −0.233 | 3 |
Group stage :
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1167 | 23 January | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein | South Africa by 39 runs |
| ODI 1168 | 25 January | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | SuperSport Park, Centurion | South Africa by 5 wickets |
| ODI 1169 | 27 January | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | Boland Park, Paarl | Match tied |
| ODI 1170 | 29 January | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | South Africa by 5 wickets |
| ODI 1171 | 31 January | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | South Africa by 4 wickets |
| ODI 1172 | 2 February | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | India | Sachin Tendulkar | St George's Park, Port Elizabeth | South Africa by 6 wickets |
| ODI 1173 | 4 February | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Buffalo Park, East London | South Africa by 6 wickets |
| ODI 1174 | 7 February | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | SuperSport Park, Centurion | Zimbabwe by 3 wickets |
| ODI 1175 | 9 February | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | Willowmoore Park, Benoni | India by 6 wickets |
| Finals |||||||||
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1176 | 12 February | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban | No result |
| ODI 1177 | 13 February | South Africa | Hansie Cronje | India | Sachin Tendulkar | Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban | South Africa by 17 runs |

### England in New Zealand

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1351 | 24–28 January | Lee Germon | Mike Atherton | Eden Park, Auckland | Match drawn |
| Test 1354 | 6–10 February | Lee Germon | Mike Atherton | Basin Reserve, Wellington | England by an innings and 68 runs |
| Test 1355 | 14–18 February | Stephen Fleming | Mike Atherton | AMI Stadium, Christchurch | England by 4 wickets |
| ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1179 | 20 February | Lee Germon | Mike Atherton | AMI Stadium, Christchurch | England by 4 wickets |
| ODI 1180 | 23 February | Lee Germon | Nasser Hussain | Eden Park, Auckland | England by 6 wickets |
| ODI 1181 | 26 February | Lee Germon | Mike Atherton | McLean Park, Napier | Match tied |
| ODI 1182 | 2 March | Lee Germon | Mike Atherton | Eden Park, Auckland | New Zealand by 9 runs |
| ODI 1183 | 4 March | Lee Germon | Mike Atherton | Basin Reserve, Wellington | New Zealand by 28 runs |

## February
### India in Zimbabwe

ODI series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1178 | 15 February | Alistair Campbell | Sachin Tendulkar | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | Zimbabwe by 8 wickets |
| ODI 1178a | 17 February | Alistair Campbell | Sachin Tendulkar | Harare Sports Club, Harare | Match cancelled |

### Australia in South Africa

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1356 | 28 February-4 March | Hansie Cronje | Mark Taylor | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Australia by an innings and 196 runs |
| Test 1360 | 14–17 March | Hansie Cronje | Mark Taylor | St George's Park, Port Elizabeth | Australia by 2 wickets |
| Test 1362 | 21–24 March | Hansie Cronje | Mark Taylor | SuperSport Park, Centurion | South Africa by 8 wickets |
| ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1186 | 29 March | Hansie Cronje | Mark Taylor | Buffalo Park, East London | South Africa by 6 wickets |
| ODI 1187 | 31 March | Hansie Cronje | Mark Taylor | St George's Park, Port Elizabeth | Australia by 7 wickets |
| ODI 1188 | 2 April | Hansie Cronje | Ian Healy | Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | South Africa by 46 runs |
| ODI 1191 | 5 April | Hansie Cronje | Ian Healy | Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban | Australia by 15 runs |
| ODI 1195 | 8 April | Hansie Cronje | Ian Healy | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Australia by 8 runs |
| ODI 1197 | 8 April | Hansie Cronje | Ian Healy | SuperSport Park, Centurion | Australia by 5 wickets |
| ODI 1199 | 13 April | Hansie Cronje | Steve Waugh | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein | South Africa by 109 runs |

## March
### India in the West Indies

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1357 | 6–10 March | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Sabina Park, Kingston | Match drawn |
| Test 1361 | 14–18 March | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain | Match drawn |
| Test 1363 | 27–31 March | Brian Lara | Sachin Tendulkar | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | West Indies by 38 runs |
| Test 1364 | 4–8 April | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Antigua Recreation Ground, St John's | Match drawn |
| Test 1365 | 17–21 April | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Bourda, Georgetown | Match drawn |
| ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1200 | 26 April | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain | West Indies by 8 wickets |
| ODI 1201 | 27 April | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain | India by 10 wickets |
| ODI 1202 | 30 April | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Arnos Vale Ground, Kingstown | West Indies by 18 runs |
| ODI 1203 | 3 May | Courtney Walsh | Sachin Tendulkar | Kensington Oval, Bridgetown | West Indies by 10 wickets |

### Sri Lanka in New Zealand

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1358 | 7–10 March | Stephen Fleming | Arjuna Ranatunga | Carisbrook, Dunedin | New Zealand by an innings and 36 runs |
| Test 1359 | 14–17 March | Stephen Fleming | Arjuna Ranatunga | Seddon Park, Hamilton | New Zealand by 120 runs |
| ODI series |||||||||
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1183a | 22–23 March | Stephen Fleming | Arjuna Ranatunga | Eden Park, Auckland | Match abandoned |
| ODI 1184 | 25 March | Stephen Fleming | Arjuna Ranatunga | AMI Stadium, Christchurch | Sri Lanka by 6 wickets |
| ODI 1185 | 27 March | Stephen Fleming | Arjuna Ranatunga | Basin Reserve, Wellington | New Zealand by 69 runs |

## April
### Singer-Akai Cup 1996-97

| Team | P | W | L | T | NR | NRR | Points |
| Sri Lanka | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.197 | 6 |
| Pakistan | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +0.275 | 4 |
| Zimbabwe | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | -0.455 | 2 |
Group stage :
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1189 | 3 April | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Sri Lanka by 7 wickets |
| ODI 1190 | 4 April | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Sri Lanka by 19 runs |
| ODI 1192 | 6 April | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Pakistan by 93 runs |
| ODI 1193 | 7 April | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Sri Lanka by 51 runs |
| ODI 1194 | 8 April | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Zimbabwe by 50 runs |
| ODI 1196 | 9 April | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Zimbabwe | Alistair Campbell | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Pakistan by 32 runs |
| Final |||||||||
| No. | Date | Team 1 | Captain 1 | Team 2 | Captain 2 | Venue | Result |
| ODI 1198 | 11 April | Pakistan | Wasim Akram | Sri Lanka | Arjuna Ranatunga | Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | Sri Lanka by 4 wickets |

### Pakistan in Sri Lanka

Test series :
| No. | Date | Home captain | Away captain | Venue | Result |
| Test 1366 | 19–23 April | Arjuna Ranatunga | Rameez Raja | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | Match drawn |
| Test 1367 | 26–30 April | Arjuna Ranatunga | Rameez Raja | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo | Match drawn |