LAHORE:
The second ODI of the three-match series between Pakistan and Zimbabwe would be played today at Ghaddafi Stadium Lahore today as Pakistan eye series win.
The match will begin at 4PM PST.
Both the teams held practice sessions at the stadium ahead of the second ODI amid high security. The series is being played under massive security with 4,000 policemen deployed in and around the Ghaddafi Stadium.
Zimbabwe is the first Test playing country to tour Pakistan in six years following the suspension of international cricket in the country in the wake of the 2009 attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.
Pakistan are targeting their first series win in 17 months in the second day-night match in Lahore on Friday, hoping to capitalise on the suspension of Zimbabwe’s in-form captain Elton Chigumbura.
Pakistan’s last one-day series win came against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2014 before embarking on a five-series losing streak.
Having won the first of three-matches by 41 runs in Lahore on Tuesday, Pakistan captain Azhar Ali said he hoped his team would take advantage of Chigumbura’s absence after the visiting skipper struck 117 of 95 balls but was slapped with a two-match ban for a slow-over rate.
“I think Elton was in great form,” said Ali of his counterpart who fell three overs short in the regulated time on Tuesday.
“He (Chigumbura) was their captain as well so it’s a big loss for Zimbabwe, obviously as an opponent we wanted a full Zimbabwe side but it’s an advantage for us and we would like to capitalise on it.”
Pakistan posted 375-3 — their highest total against Zimbabwe in all one-day matches — before leaking 334-5 on Tuesday, a concern for Ali.
“Our batting is doing very well but pitches are very good for batting so sometimes it gets tough for bowlers and we need improvement in that area,” he said.
Opener Hamilton Masakadza, who will now lead Zimbabwe, hoped his side would be able to overcome the loss of Chigumbura as well as middle-order batsman Craig Ervine.
Teams:
Pakistan: (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Azhar Ali (capt), 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Anwar Ali, 8 Hammad Azam/Junaid Khan, 9 Mohammad Sami, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Yasir Shah
Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Sikandar Raza, 3 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 4 Charles Coventry, 5 Roy Kaia, 6 Sean Williams, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk) 8 Prosper Utseya 9 Tinashe Panyangara, 10 and 11 Two of Tawanda Mupariwa/Chris Mpofu/Brian Vitori
The match could be really interesting
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