Pakistan has won the toss and opted to bowl first against Zimbabwe in the opening match of their One Day International (ODI) series at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. This series marks Pakistan’s second ODI engagement this month, following their 2-1 victory against Australia in a home series earlier in November.
Pakistan has made several changes to their lineup, notably giving maiden caps to four players. The squad, led by Mohammad Rizwan, arrived in Zimbabwe on Wednesday and underwent three extensive practice sessions ahead of the series.
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Key players such as Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Arafat Minhas have been rested, making way for the uncapped duo Abrar Ahmed and Ahmed Daniyal, as well as pacers Shahnawaz Dahani and Tayyab Tahir.
Aqib Javed, a former fast bowler and current member of the National Men’s Selection Committee, has been appointed interim head coach of Pakistan’s white-ball team until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The series against Zimbabwe is his first assignment since joining the team.
The last ODI series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe took place in Rawalpindi in November 2020, where Pakistan secured a 2-1 win. In their previous visit to Zimbabwe in July 2018, Pakistan whitewashed the Chevrons 5-0.
Speaking ahead of the series, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan highlighted the importance of testing the team’s bench strength as they prepare for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. He acknowledged the challenges posed by Zimbabwe but expressed confidence in maintaining their winning momentum.
Pakistan Playing XI:
- Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk)
- Saim Ayub
- Abdullah Shafique
- Kamran Ghulam
- Haseebullah Khan
- Salman Ali Agha
- Muhammad Irfan Khan
- Aamir Jamal
- Haris Rauf
- Mohammad Hasnain
- Faisal Akram
