Pakistan cricket team is in Zimbabwe for a three-match T20I series and a two-match Test series scheduled to be played over the course of the next three weeks. The two cricketing boards share a cordial relationship, and over the past few years, they have played against each other frequently.
The tour is set to start with the first T20I, scheduled to be played on 21 April at Harare. Pakistan will be looking to win their third consecutive T20I series, having beaten South Africa both home and away recently.
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Schedule
Let’s have a look at the schedule of the tour:
| Match | Date | Time (PST) | Venue |
| 1st T20I | Wednesday, 21 April | 2:00pm | Harare Sports Club |
| 2nd T20I | Friday, 23 April | 2:00pm | Harare Sports Club |
| 3rd T20I | Sunday, 25 April | 2:00pm | Harare Sports Club |
| 1st Test | Thu 29 April – Mon 3 May | 12:30pm | Harare Sports Club |
| 2nd Test | Fri 7 May – Tue 11 May | 12:30pm | Harare Sports Club |
All the matches will be telecasted live on PTV Sports.
Head-to-Head
Historically, Pakistan has had the upper hand over Zimbabwe. The two teams met for the first time in the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup. Pakistan won the match by 56 runs. The teams locked horns in Test matches for the first time in 1993 at Karachi. Pakistan won the match by 131 runs and went onto win the three-match series 2-0.
Let’s have a look at the head to head record of the two teams:
| Format | Total Matches | Pakistan Wins | Zimbabwe Wins | Draw |
| Test | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 |
| T20I | 14 | 14 | 0 | – |
Squads
Pakistan is expected to field some exciting new faces in their line-up, with the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali getting much-needed rest. Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Shahwnawaz Dahani, and Arshad Iqbal are a few of the players likely to debut for the national team in the upcoming tour.
Pakistan limited-overs vice-captain, Shadab Khan, has been ruled out of the tour due to an injury suffered during the team’s tour of South Africa. Therefore, Pakistan will be without his services. Usman Qadir and Mohammad Nawaz are the only other recognized spinners in the T20I squad.
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On the other hand, Pakistan has a plethora of spin options in the Test squad. Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Zahid Mehmood are all part of the touring party. Let’s have a look at the squads for both teams.
Pakistan T20I squad:
| Babar Azam (c) | Mohammad Rizwan (wk) | Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) | Mohammad Hafeez | Asif Ali | Danish Aziz |
| Haider Ali | Haris Rauf | Faheem Ashraf | Mohammad Hasnain | Mohammad Nawaz | Mohammad Wasim Jnr |
| Shaheen Afridi | Sharjeel Khan | Usman Qadir | Arshad Iqbal | Hasan Ali |
Zimbabwe T20I squad:
| Sean Williams (c) | Ryan Burl | Regis Chakabva | Tanaka Chivanga |
| Craig Ervine | Luke Jongwe | Tinashe Kamunhukamwe | Wesley Madhevere |
| Tadiwanashe Marumani | Wellington Masakadza | Tapiwa Mufudza | Blessing Muzarabani |
| Richard Ngarava | Brendan Taylor | Donald Tiripano |
Pakistan Test squad:
| Babar Azam (c) | Mohammad Rizwan (wk) | Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) | 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 |
| Shaheen Afridi | Shahnawaz Dahani | Tabish Khan | Zahid Mehmood | Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness) |
Zimbabwe is yet to announce their Test squad.
Shaheen Afridi ko tu inn ne rest nhi karwana tha???