Zimbabwe will host Pakistan for a three-match ODI series. The hosts Zimbabwe are brimming with confidence after their dominant performance in the ICC T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier. Zimbabwe are set to play Pakistan in a three-match ODI series starting in Bulawayo on Sunday. Both teams are meeting in a 50-over fixture after four long years and with much-changed teams.
Perhaps even an attempt to preview this series is a bit of false advertising, because it implies a wider context in which a three-match ODI series between Zimbabwe and Pakistan is placed. It is not. It was a series earmarked to happen in the Future Tours Programme (FTP), so a window had to be found, and the last week of November sounded just about the right time for it.
ZIM vs PAK : Previous Performances
After a successful campaign in the World T20 Qualifier in October, Zimbabwe is set to return to ODI cricket with a three-match series against Pakistan, followed by a T20I series. The home side has revamped their squad for both formats, aiming to make full use of familiar conditions. Zimbabwe is determined to challenge a strong Pakistan side and secure a significant victory on home soil, capitalizing on their recent momentum and fresh team dynamics.
Zimbabwe will be making their return to ODI cricket through the upcoming series for the first time since January this year. Back then, they lost their three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, and also lost a home series to Ireland by identical 0-2 margins. In a bid to attain some positive momentum, it is imperative for Craig Ervine and co. to take the fight to Pakistan if they aim to seal a spot at the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Pakistan, meanwhile, enters the series with mixed results from their recent tour of Australia, where they won the ODI series 2-1 but suffered a 3-0 defeat in the T20Is. The upcoming matches against Zimbabwe hold strategic importance for Pakistan as they prepare for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Facing a motivated host team, Pakistan will look to assert their dominance in white-ball cricket while fine-tuning their lineup for the challenges ahead.
The Pakistan cricket team recently scripted history by winning an ODI series in Australia for the first time in over two decades. Under the new leadership of Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan fast bowlers took centre-stage, with Haris Rauf delivering a ‘Player of the Series’ performance by picking up 10 wickets from three matches.
Among the batters, Abdullah Shafique and captain Rizwan himself came up with handy runs to rescue Pakistan with critical knocks. Overall, the ‘Men in Green’ will be touted as favourites to wallop Zimbabwe at the latter’s home ground.
ZIM vs PAK : Head to Head Records
Zimbabwe and Pakistan have faced each other 62 times, with Pakistan holding a significant lead of 54-4.
Zimbabwe won- 4
Pakistan won- 54
No result/ Abandoned- 4
ZIM vs PAK : Pitch Report and conditions
The Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo hosted several matches of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier last year, and the average first innings total in its final five games turned out to be 244. The surface here tends to be friendly for fast bowlers, but batters can score big runs upon settling in. The captain winning the toss might be tempted to bat first owing to recent results here.
The pitch at Queens Sports Club is known for being batting-friendly, offering consistent bounce and minimal movement for bowlers. This often encourages teams to bat first, aiming to post a strong total and apply pressure while defending. In later stages, the pitch can slightly slow down, assisting spinners and making chasing trickier.
Teams at Queens Sports Club typically prefer to bat first, especially in day matches, to take advantage of favorable early batting conditions. However, in cases of early morning starts or if dew is anticipated in evening games, bowling first might be considered. On November 24, 2024, Bulawayo is expected to experience cloudy weather with a high of 29°C (85°F) and a low of 20°C (68°F). Rain showers are anticipated later in the day, with a 51% chance of precipitation.
ZIM vs PAK : Big Picture : Can Zimbabwe spring another surprise against Pakistan
There is, after all, no logical planning sequence that takes anyone directly from Hobart to Bulawayo, a journey much of this Pakistan squad has made. Just last Monday, they wrapped up the final game of a six-match white-ball tour with a T20 in Hobart, with another six matches now scheduled over the next fortnight in Zimbabwe. Unlike that tour, where each game was played in a different city, Pakistan will not leave Bulawayo at all on this tour.
Zimbabwe’s calendar is much more open for obvious reasons. A romp through a T20 World Cup sub-regional Africa qualifier last month is their most recent international engagement. It caused something of a murmur on the wider cricketing stage due to a record-breaking rout Zimbabwe inflicted over Gambia, totting up the highest T20I score and the biggest win in the format’s history.
A win over India in the opening game of a T20I series in July, though, is the more impressive result, even if a Test defeat at Ireland’s hands is more indicative of the true position Zimbabwe’s cricket is currently in. They all might have been different formats, but with a shallower player pool to draw from, it is safer to map Zimbabwe’s results cross-format than it is with most Full Members.
It’s also necessary, because Zimbabwe have no recent ODIs to read into, anyway. Their most consequential 50-over games came in the summer of 2023, when, for the second consecutive qualifying campaign, they were among the two best teams of the tournament only for one damaging loss to keep them out of the World Cup proper. They followed that up with a pair of losses against Ireland and Sri Lanka either side of the turn of the year, their last ODIs.
They do have a familiar-looking squad, though. The batting stalwarts include captain Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza, with fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava also part of the side; all five were part of the team that beat Pakistan after a Super Over in an ODI in November 2020. Flashy top-order batter Brian Bennett has been in decent List A form in Zimbabwe of late, while Tadiwanshe Marumani has shown sparks.
With no Champions Trophy involvement ahead, this series will be a big deal in itself for Zimbabwe, a chance to test themselves against a vastly superior opponent, but one they have the canny ability to spring surprises upon from time to time.
Pakistan come in with new head coach Aaqib Javed, who earlier this week declared ODI was the most important format for them at the moment. The Champions Trophy is a home tournament for Pakistan, who are also defending champions, so making sure the 50-over side is perfectly fine-tuned matters more to them than most.
They come fresh off the back of a commanding ODI series win in Australia, their only 50-over cricket to date since the 2023 World Cup. But this series is part of that rare bounty of ODI cricket that now tends to cluster around a big 50-over tournament; they follow it up with three such games in South Africa, followed by a home triangular series that New Zealand and South Africa will also play in.
While Aaqib said Pakistan wouldn’t tinker too much with the ODI side, there are a few departures from their full-strength team. Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah have all been rested. With Fakhar Zaman also missing owing to a mix of disciplinary and fitness issues, it means some unfamiliarity both at the top and tail of the innings.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan may have to shoulder more batting responsibility, while Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub have opportunities to make the opening slots theirs. How Pakistan balance the side is also a point of interest after they went into the Australia ODIs playing just four specialist fast bowlers, planning on simply bowling Australia out in 40 overs. I
t’s likely Pakistan go with a less gung-ho approach on tracks that may not offer the same zip, with spinners Abrar Ahmed and Faisal Akram getting chances to showcase their skills against perhaps less storied opposition.
And that’s that, really. There’s the risk of the odd shower for much of the next week; Zimbabwe tends to get seasonal rain around this time of year. Bulawayo will offer a nice atmosphere; Zimbabwean fans always tend to make sure of that. The relationship between these sides is convivial, and for Pakistan, it’s one of very few places where they will not be thronged by local media or supporters.
It’s not the highest-profile cricket tour in the world this week, but it’s a laid-back one in a country that enjoys its cricket. If that sounds like your sort of thing, that’s really all the context that matters.
ZIM vs PAK : Vital Stats that matters
- Zimbabwe and Pakistan have faced each other 62 times, with Pakistan holding a significant lead of 54-4.
- Pakistan are placed 3rd in the ICC rankings whereas Zimbabwe are placed at the 13th place of the same list.
ZIM vs PAK : Team News
Zimbabwe :
Zimbabwe will be led by their seasoned captain, Craig Ervine, as they take on Pakistan in an upcoming ODI series. The team’s hopes rest on the experience and skills of key players like Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams, both of whom have been instrumental in past successes.
To strengthen the squad, Zimbabwe has included three debutants—Trevor Gwandu, Tashinga Musekiwa, and Tinotenda Maposa—who will aim to make an impact in their first international outing. Despite Pakistan’s confidence from their recent victory over Australia, Zimbabwe will strive to exploit home conditions and present a tough challenge in this crucial series.
Zimbabwe Probable Playing XI : Joylord Gumbie, Dion Myers, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Sikandar Raza, Clive Madande (wk.), Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Faraz Akram ,Trevor Gwandu
Pakistan :
Pakistan has sent a mix of established and fresh talent for the tour. A group of players, including captain Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Salman Ali Agha, has already arrived in Zimbabwe after completing the Australia series.
However, star performers such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah have been rested to manage workloads and give emerging players like Mohammad Irfan Khan and Haseebullah Khan a chance to showcase their skills. This rotational strategy reflects Pakistan’s broader focus on maintaining player fitness and building depth in the squad.
Pakistan Probable Playing XI : Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan (c and wk.), Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Irfan Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf , Mohammad Hasnain
Zim vs Pak Fantasy XI : Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (c and wk.), Kamran Ghulam, Haris Rauf , Mohammad Hasnain, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine (c), Sikandar Raza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
ZIM vs PAK : Key Players to watch out for
Saim Ayub to be the top batter for Pakistan
Saim Ayub was the best batter in the ODI series against Australia. He scored 125 runs in 3 games. He averages at 41.66 in the format. Ayub will be expected to bat well in the next game.
Sean Williams to be the top batter for Zimbabwe
Sean Williams is a terrific middle order batter. He has scored around 5000 runs at an average of 38.06. He is a strong batting presence in the team and will be expected to bat well in the first ODI of this series.
Haris Rauf to be the top bowler for Pakistan
Haris Rauf is a fantastic pacer from Pakistan and can be a big trouble for Zimbabwe batters. He was the best bowler in the last ODI series against Australia where he picked 8 wickets in the game. He will come in as the best bowling pick for the next game.
Richard Ngarava to be the top bowler for Zimbabwe
Richard Ngarava is a terrific bowler from Zimbabwe. He has 56 wickets in 42 ODI innings. He will come in as team’s best bowler in the next game.
ZIM vs PAK : Match Prediction
Zimbabwe is going against a very strong team in this series. Pakistan is placed 3rd in the ICC Men’s ODI ranking whereas Zimbabwe are positioned at the 13th spot. The sides have met in 62 ODIs before. Pakistan holds a significant lead of 54-4. Zimbabwe did not have much success in the format and did not win any game in their last five outings. That said, Pakistan will be the obvious favourites here.
On the basis of recent record and superior head-to-head record, in-form Pakistan will start out as favourites to take a lead in the three-match ODI series.