Post COVID-19 outbreak: Pakistan first int’l cricket team to tour Zimbabwe

According to the schedule issued by Pakistan Cricket Board, The Pakistan side will arrive in Harare from Johannesburg on April 17 where the five matches will take place from April 21 to May 11.

As per schedule T20Is to start at 14:00 PST and the two Tests will commence at 12:30 Pakistan Standard Time.

T20Is are scheduled on April 21, 23 and 25, while the first match of the two Test-match series will begin on 29 April whereas 2nd match will commence on 7 May.

The test series will mark the first instance of the two sides facing off in the pinnacle format of the game since September 2013. This was also Pakistan’s last Test on Zimbabwean soil.

PCB Director – International Cricket, Zakir Khan said: “The Pakistan Cricket Board has been at the forefront of the revival of international cricket in the post-Covid-19 world and the tour of Zimbabwe is another step in that direction. We have always maintained that cricket and Covid-19 can co-exist in a safe and secure environment, and we continue to demonstrate this to ensure the game develops and flourishes in these difficult and challenging times.

“The tour of our men’s side at the back of our women’s team first-ever visit of Zimbabwe is a testimony that the two boards – the PCB and Zimbabwe Cricket – enjoy excellent relations and are always ready to lend support to each other.

“Our cricket sides have always enjoyed visiting and playing cricket in Zimbabwe, and though our fans and followers will be unable to watch live-action, I am sure they will continue to support both the sides and their favourite cricketers like they have done since May 2020 through digital media.”

Pakistan enjoy 100 per cent win percentage against Zimbabwe in T20Is with victories in all 14 matches. Pakistan have won 10 of the 17 Tests against Zimbabwe with four ending in draw and three in wins for Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe last hosted an international series – a Two-Test series against Sri Lanka – in January 2020.

Squads:

T20I: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir.

Test: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tabish Khan and Zahid Mahmood.

 Zimbabwe tour schedule:

21 April – 1st T20I v Zimbabwe; Harare Sports Club, Harare
23 April – 2nd T20I v Zimbabwe; Harare Sports Club, Harare
25 April – 3rd T20I v Zimbabwe; Harare Sports Club, Harare
29 April-3May – 1st Test v Zimbabwe; Harare Sports Club, Harare
7-11 May – 2nd Test v Zimbabwe; Harare Sports Club, Harare.