Pakistan vs. Zimbabwe: Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

Pakistan and Zimbabwe have a crucial clash on Sunday. Pakistan need to win if they hope to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Date: Sunday, March 1

Time: 1:30 p.m. local/3:30 a.m. GMT

Venue: Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane

Weather: According to AccuWeather.com, things are all clear on the weather front. Temperatures should peak at 29 degrees and there is no chance of rain interrupting proceedings.  

TV Info and Live Stream: The official broadcasters of the 2015 Cricket World Cup are Sky Sports (UK) and ESPN (U.S.). Mobile coverage is available via the Sky Go app and Watch ESPN.

Overview

Pakistan’s World Cup campaign has been somewhat of a disaster thus far. Losses against India and the West Indies mean that every match is a must-win from now on if they hope to keep their chances of making it out of the group stages alive.

Despite the loss, Pakistan put in an impressive showing against India in their opening match. Their bowlers were solid at the death, but they were let down by their batsmen. In their second match, everything went wrong and they suffered a big and embarrassing defeat at the hands of the West Indies.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, started off well against South Africa, but lost. They then went on to clinch a tight win over the United Arab Emirates but came crashing down when they ran into the Chris Gayle storm a few days later.  

Predicting a winner from these two is difficult since Pakistan so often blow hot and cold and Zim have shown glimpses of getting their act together during this World Cup. Neither team has been consistent, though, and with the pressure on both sides, it’s hard to know how they will perform.

The good news for Pakistan is that Ahmed Shehzad is likely to recover from a minor injury which threatened to rule him out of the match, as per ESPN Cricinfo. Zimbabwe have no injury concerns and for them it’s all about getting the balance right.

Pakistan have won four out of the last five games the two teams played against each other, most recently defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 in a one-day series in Harare.

All things considered, it should be an interesting meeting between these two teams. With a lot at stake and the two teams matching each other pound-for-pound on strength, we’re in for a fascinating encounter.

Key players

Pakistan: Pakistan will look to bowler Sohail Khan to continue his good form. He has taken six wickets in two games at an average of 21.33. He is the only Pakistan bowler with an average below 22.00, with the others all averaging over 40.00.

Zimbabwe: Sean Williams has been Zimbabwe's most consistent batsman. He tops the run scoring charts with 160 in three games, including two half-centuries. Although other players need to come to the party, knowing that there is a player in good touch is a massive boost of confidence for any side.

Squads:

Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Umar Akmal, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Khan, Ehsan Adil, Sohaib Maqsood, Yasir Shah

Zimbabwe: Elton Chigumbura (c), Sikandar Butt, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Craig Ervine, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Solomon Mire, Tawanda Mupariwa, Tinashe Panyangara, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams