Pakistan and Zimbabwe will lock horns in the 1st T20 of the three-match series on 1st December at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Match preview:
After concluding the ODI series on a high note, Pakistan would look forward to carrying the momentum in the T20 series as well. Although Pakistan was whitewashed by the Australian team recently in the said format, this time they can manage to win as they will be facing a much weaker opponent.
Pakistan has rested Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and the side will be led by Salman Ali Agha. Moreover, Saim Ayub, Aamer Jamal, and Abrar Ahmed were added in the T20 squad after the conclusion of the ODI series. Both Saim and Usman are named in the playing XI of the tourist side.
With no Babar and Rizwan in the side, the youngsters will look to make their mark in the T20 format. Abrar who was clinical in the ODI, the same performances will be expected from him in the shortest format too.
Sufyan Moqim will be the player to watch out for as he made an astounding debut against Australia last month.
Talking about Zimbabwe, they will not start the series with very high confidence after losing the ODI series by 2-1 against the same opponent.
In their last outing against India, they only managed to win one T20 in a five-match series. If anything, Sikandar Raza will be the key player for the homeside. He has massive experience in this format and can carry the innings well. His bowling is a plus factor.
Pace duo Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava could pose a significant threat to Pakistan’s batting lineup.
Clive Madande and Tadiwanashe Marumani are two guys who can make some noise with the bat.
So, the onus will rely on the experienced campaigners of Zimbabwe to lead revenge against Pakistan.
Pitch and weather report:
The pitch at Queens Sports Club is expected to be fair, giving both batsmen and bowlers a chance to shine.
Batting in Bulawayo shouldn’t be too tricky, and bowlers will have their moments too. Historically, the average scores at Queens Sports Club have been around 154 in the first innings and 130 in the second.
The weather is expected to be sunny too so rain is not going to disturb the flow of the game.
Playing XI:
Pakistan (confirmed): Salman Ali Agha (c), Saim Ayub, Omair bin Yousuf, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, and Sufiyan Moqim
Zimbabwe (Probable): Sikandar Raza (captain), Tadiwanashe Marumani (wicket-keeper), Wessly Madhevere, Ryan Burl, Clive Madande, Dion Myers, Brandon Mavuta, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Faraz Akram
Head-to-head record:
Zimbabwe and Pakistan have faced off 18 times, with Pakistan dominating the head-to-head record. The Pakistanis have emerged victorious 16 times, while Zimbabwe has managed to win just 2 matches. None of the matches have ended in a tie or no result.
Prediction:
Pakistan has a decent record against Zimbabwe, and to make matters worse, Zimbabwe lost its last game at the same venue. So, Pakistan is supposed to win the first T20 of the series.
Where to watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad, PTV Sports, Geo Super, A Sports
India: FanCode App
Zimbabwe: ZBC TV
UK: Sky Sports Cricket
USA: Willow TV
South Africa: SuperSport
