Pak vs Zim: PCB releases schedule of T20, Test series

• Pakistan to become first international cricket side to tour Zimbabwe post COVID-19 outbreak.
• The Pakistan side will arrive in Harare from Johannesburg on 17 April.
• Zimbabwe last hosted an international series – a two-Test series against Sri Lanka – in January 2020.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday released the schedule of the Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe during which the Green Shirts will play three T20 and two Test matches.

Pakistan will become the first men’s international cricket side to play in Zimbabwe in the post-COVID-19 era.

According to a PCB statement, the Pakistan side will arrive in Harare from Johannesburg on 17 April, where the five matches will take place from 21 April to 11 May with the T20Is to start at 2pm and the two Tests will commence at 12:30pm.

After the T20Is on 21, 23 and 25 April, Babar Azam’s side will play Zimbabwe in two Tests, the first of which will begin on 29 April.

This 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.

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The second Test will commence on 7 May.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pakistani team has toured England and New Zealand, besides hosting Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Pakistan Shaheens also toured New Zealand alongside the men’s side, while the women’s sides visited South Africa and Zimbabwe, the tour that was curtailed due to suspension in flight operations.

Next month, the Pakistan U19 squad will tour Bangladesh for a four-day and five 50-over-side matches.

PCB’s 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.”

He said the PCB has always maintained that cricket and COVID-19 can co-exist in a safe and secure environment, and the cricket board 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.

Head to head

Pakistan enjoy a 100% 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.

The T20Is and Tests will count towards the ICC Team Rankings.

Pakistan men’s national cricket team for the Zimbabwe tour:

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

Test: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh, subject to fitness), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Tabish Khan (Sindh) and Zahid Mahmood (Southern Punjab)

Players Support Personnel - Mansoor Rana (Manager), Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Col (retd) Khalid Mahmood (security manager), Malang Ali (masseur), Raza Kitchlew (Digital and media manager), Dr Riaz Ahmed (team doctor), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Waqar Younis (bowling coach), Yasir Malik (strength & conditioning coach) and Younis Khan (batting coach).

Pakistan tour to Zimbabwe;

Schedule, venue and timings of T20 matches

Matches to start at 1400 PST:

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

Schedule, venue and timings of test matches

Matches to begin at 1230 PST

29 April – 3 May – 1st Test v Zimbabwe; Harare Sports Club, Harare

7-11 May – 2nd Test v Zimbabwe; Harare Sports Club, Harare