Rain halts play as Pakistan stumble chasing Zimbabwe's 206 in first ODI
Cricket
Pakistan XI includes three debutants
BULAWAYO (Dunya News) - Downpour in Bulawayo's Zimbabwe stopped the first one day match between Pakistan and the host country.
While chasing 206 runs, Pakistan fell in deep trouble as they lost six wickets for paltry 58 runs.
Zimbabwe set a target of 206 runs for Pakistan to win the first ODI of the three-match series.
Following their historic ODI series win against World Champions Australia in Australia, the Pakistan cricket team enter this series with boosted confidence. This is also Pakistan's first assignment under the new head coach, Aaqib Javed.
Zimbabwe's batting
In the match held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's openers attempted an aggressive start but faltered early. At a total of 40, Joylord Gumbie was run out for 15 by Abdullah Shafique, while Dion Myers contributed only 8 runs.
Captain Craig Ervine (6), Tadiwanashe Marumani (29), Sean Williams (23), Brian Bennett (20), Brandon Mavuta (1), and Blessing Muzarabani (0) all fell cheaply.
A crucial 62-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Sikandar Raza and Richard Ngarava gave some resistance. Raza scored 39 before falling to debutant Faisal Akram, while Ngarava top-scored with 48, including five fours and a six.
For Pakistan, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha and spinner Faisal Akram (on debut) each took three wickets. Haris Rauf, Aamer Jamal, and Mohammad Hasnain claimed one wicket apiece, while one player was run out.
Toss and team news
At the toss, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan revealed that three players—Aamer Jamal, Haseebullah, and Faisal Akram—were making their debuts. Rizwan highlighted the importance of adapting to conditions, acknowledging the challenges of early overs for batting.
Key players Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah were rested for this series to give opportunities to new talent.
ODI Playing XI:
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (C), Haseebullah Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Irfan Khan Niazi, Aamir Jamal, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram
