Zimbabwe vs. Pakistan, 1st ODI: Date, Time, Full Preview and Prediction
Having won their two-match Twenty20 series comfortably, Pakistan now take on hosts Zimbabwe in three one-day internationals at Harare starting on Thursday.
The tourists have dominated the Chevrons at every turn this year, so the home side will be playing for pride as much as anything when the two sides take to the field once more.
Read on for a full preview of the first ODI complete with a prediction as to who will take the vital 1-0 lead in the series.
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Date: Thursday, October 1
Time: 8:30 a.m. BST, 3:30 a.m. ET
Prediction: Pakistan go 1-0 up
Preview
In May, Zimbabwe became the first team to tour in Pakistan for six years and returned home without winning any of their two T20s or three ODIs.
Indeed, they barely provided a challenge for the Men in Green.
Particularly poor was their bowling. In the first ODI, they conceded 375 runs and took just three wickets, allowing Pakistan to cruise to victory by 41 runs.
While they have perhaps improved slightly with the ball this time around—they limited Pakistan to 136 in both of their T20s, with Chamu Chibhabha, Tinashe Panyangara and Luke Jongwe each standing out as they took three wickets apiece and bowled a combined 52 dot balls—their performance at the crease is now something of a worry.
In both matches Pakistan batted first to set the 136 total, and on both occasions the Chevrons never looked likely to catch them as only two players scored more than 20 runs in each match. Indeed, 11 players didn't even reach double figures.
Broadcaster Mirza Iqbal Baig highlighted Zimbabwe's batting as their main weakness:
Against the likes of Imad Wasim, who was especially impressive in the T20s as he bagged five wickets, it's difficult to see Zimbabwe racking up a significant total in the one-day series.
The hosts' recent form also indicates a possible mental hurdle they've yet to overcome.
As well as restricting Pakistan to a realistic target twice and failing to make the chase both times, they also failed to take advantage of strong positions in their recent ODI series with India, in which they lost 3-0.
According to ESPN Cricinfo's Liam Brickhill, following the first T20 defeat to Pakistan Zimbabwe's Chibhabha said:
"We don't want to be the same sort of players that always get close but don't win matches. When we played the first match (ODI) against India, we lost by three or four runs. Today we lost by 13 runs. It's not good enough. It's time to start winning games, especially when you get opportunities like this.
Moving forward, it's not every day that you get to chase 137 in a T20 game against Pakistan. It's really disappointing from us as players, especially the batting unit. If you want to win games, we have to execute.
"
However, they did just the same in the second match, and this lack of a winning mentality will likely prove decisive in the ODI series too.
Pakistan's batting lineup are hardly in vintage form themselves, but nevertheless they were comfortable victors in both T20s.
If Zimbabwe find themselves in a promising position, nerves will likely creep in and allow the visitors back into the match.
The experience of the tourists will allow them to exploit that to their advantage to take a 1-0 lead in the series and perhaps a whitewash overall. If they can do that, they'll be full of confidence when they take on England in a lengthy series across October and November.
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