Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 205 runs in their first match of the three-match ODI series on Sunday.
The national team’s players – vice-captain Salman Ali Agha and debutant Faisal Akram – destroyed Zimbabwe’s batting line-up with a modest total. They both took three wickets each.
Aamer Jamal (42/1) and Mohamed Hasnain (43/1) turned out to be the most expensive bowlers in the green shirts.
Zimbabwe’s Joylord Gombe (15) was run out in the sixth over, and his successor Dion Myers (8) was caught off Agha in the 10th over.
Tadiwanashe Marumane scored (29 from 44) before leaving Agha’s ball. Captain Craig Irvine (6 off 12) failed to impress with the bat when he was caught by Saim Ayoub off Haris Rauf.
Brandon Mafuta (1) was then beaten by Jamal and Brian Bennett (20) by Faisal.
Lower-middle-order batsmen Sikandar Raza (39 off 56) and Richard Nagarava (48 off 52) put up modest resistance before Pakistan concluded the innings with the opponents all out.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first.
This is the Green Shirts’ second ODI series this month after they beat Australia 2-1 in a historic feat earlier this month.
In the 15-member squad, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been replaced by the off-spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Ahmed Danial along with Shahnawaz Dhani and Tayyab Tahir.
The last time Pakistan and Zimbabwe faced each other in the 50-over format was in November 2020 in Rawalpindi where the national team beat the visitors 2-1.
Pakistan, on their last visit to Zimbabwe, beat Chevron in a five-match ODI series in July 2018.
The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20Is at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Pakistan lineup: Muhammad Rizwan (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Amer Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Ahmed Danial, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hasibullah, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Salman Ali Agha (Vice Captain), Shahnawaz Dhani, Saim Ayoub. And the good is pure
Zimbabwe lineup: Craig Irvine (captain), Brian Bennett, Blessing Muzarabane, Brandon Mafuta, Clive Madande, Dion Myers, Faraz Akram, Joylord Gumbi, Richard Ngarava, Shaun Williams, Sikander Raza, Tadiwanashe Marumane, Tashinga Mosekwa, Tinotenda Mabusa and Trevor Gwandu.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more details.