Watch - Kane Williamson's message ahead of New Zealand's T20 World Cup opener.

On the eve of his side's opening clash against Pakistan in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson stated his side's focus was firmly on the clash. This came in the aftermath of their tour of Pakistan in September being abruptly canceled moments before their first game due to a security threat.

Kane Williamson's Blackcaps will play their tournament opener against Pakistan in Sharjah later this evening.

In a video released by Blackcaps' official Twitter handle, Williamson said:

'As a team we really felt for the loss of that series. Especially for the Pakistani fans and players. It was a real shame and we certainly hope international cricket returns there as soon as possible. But our focus is on this first game. There are a lot of good relationships between players of both sides and Pakistan surely play in good spirit.'

Hear from captain Kane Williamson on the eve of the team's first match of the @T20WorldCup against @TheRealPCB. #T20WorldCup https://t.co/QXUi2EwKel

Turning his attention then towards the buildup to the clash and whether the team followed Pakistan's victory against India on Sunday, Williamson said:

'We had a bit of dinner and saw some of the game. We were in the team room and some of the cricket was watched in there too. That's one of the beauties of tournament sport - often you're following the progress of other teams and how things shape up. It was an incredible game and Pakistan were flying high for sure.'

Pakistan defeated India for the first time in World Cup history

Babar Azam's Pakistan side head into this contest on the back of a thumping 10-wicket victory over India in Dubai. It was the side's first victory across international Cricket World Cups (both 50-over and 20-over formats) in 13 attempts.

Shaheen Shah Afridi dismantled the Indian top-order with a sensational opening spell. Later on, the 152-run target was overhauled without a fuss. Skipper Babar and wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan strolled through to the finish line with sublime half-centuries on their part.

Next up ahead of them is a New Zealand side that has lost both their warm up encounters, against Australia and England. They head into the contest scheduled to take place tonight in Sharjah eager to get off the mark. Pakistan seek to assert their dominance in Group 2 with consecutive victories. On the other hand, Kane Williamson and the Blackcaps will be keen to hit the ground running immediately.