Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard – There was a bit of rain in the morning so the toss is slightly delayed. It has stopped now and the outfield is dry. The covers are just being removed, we should have the toss in the next 5 minutes or so. Haseebullah Khan, Aamir Jamal and Faisal Akram all get Pakistan debuts.

It is Zimbabwe’s first bit of ODI cricket since February, when they lost to Sri Lanka 2-0 on a tour of that country. Since failing to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, their veterans Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams have still not been a great bet, and they have been heavily dependent on them. They’d hope for some of the new boys like Brian Bennett, Clive Mandade and Trevor Gwandu to perform now.

Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Vs Pakistan National Cricket Teams

Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Vs Pakistan National Cricket Teams

Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to field

Zimbabwe (Playing XI)

Tadiwanashe Marumani(w)

Joylord Gumbie

Dion Myers

Craig Ervine(c)

Sean Williams

Sikandar Raza

Brian Bennett

Brandon Mavuta

Richard Ngarava

Blessing Muzarabani

Trevor Gwandu

Pakistan (Playing XI)

Saim Ayub

Abdullah Shafique

Kamran Ghulam

Mohammad Rizwan(w/c)

Haseebullah Khan

Agha Salman

Irfan Khan

Aamer Jamal

Haris Rauf

Mohammad Hasnain

Faisal Akram

Craig Ervine | Zimbabwe captain

Ecstatic. The boys were really up for it. We had a week’s preparation and the boys were confident coming into today. We probably would have bowled first but once the toss and anthems were done the sun came out and it was actually a nice wicket to bat first on. The top-order did well but the middle-order faltered. Not from an intent point of view but the execution bit. We were never down on the run-rate and if we can continue on that in the coming games we will be fine. We were under-par but Richie [Ngarava] and Blessing did extremely well at the start to contain and then Willow [Williams] and Raz [Raza], experienced campaigners and they made it very difficult for them through the middle overs.

Mohammad Rizwan | Pakistan captain

It was not good for us. They played with experience. Sikandar Raza took it to the end, that’s where the game went away from us. We won the toss and then the sun came out and made it easy. They put us under pressure and as a batting group we did not handle that. They attacked the pacers and then we had to bring on the spinners. Muzarabani and Ngarava are experienced campaigners, they have played in the PSL, we have seen them, they can put the batters under pressure in any conditions.

Sikandar Raza | Player of the Match

I thought I let the team down with the way I got out when we were set. 250-260 was a very good score on this wicket, then somebody had to bat out of their skin to get that. The way the seamers started was very good for us. In international cricket we look for those challenges. Our first four batters did that, as the skipper said, we were below-par but credit to the bowlers and they made life difficult. Ngarava kept saying to me, you can trust me, he got those ones and twos and when he found the boundaries, I felt I can trust him and I also gained in confidence. It’s a daunting task as an allrounder; it takes a toll on your body, but when you play for the country, the pain goes away. You have to be ready to do everything for the country.

Final Thought

A thumping win for Zimbabwe that will dampen all the joy of winning away in Australia for Pakistan. It was a fairly placid surface and the hosts started well, but their innings stuttered in the middle overs. Salman Agha came in and picked three wickets, as Faisal Akram and Aamir Jamal claimed their maiden ODI wickets as well. Zimbabwe had 125/7 at one stage, but then Ngarava and Sikandar Raza stitched together some valuable runs to get their team to a total of 200. In reply, Pakistan lost both their openers to Muzarabani, and then Raza struck twice in an over while Sean Williams picked up two as well to leave Pakistan reeling at 60/6. The pitch started to turn and Pakistan’s middle order struggled, and then the rain came to hasten the result. A first loss for Rizwan as ODI captain, and it is one that will sting for quite a while. Stick around for the presentations.