Sports / Cricket
Zimbabwe battles Pakistan in Harare
11 Sep 2011 at 07:12hrs | Views
Zimbabwe and Pakistan square off in the second of three One Day Internationals at Harare Sports Club tomorrow with the hosts hoping for a win to keep their aspirations of a series victory alive.
Zimbabwe gave Pakistan a tough competition in the 1st ODI played in Bulawayo on Thursday.
However the hosts will be eager to prove their performance against Bangladesh was not an isolated show when they come face to face with the Asians tomorrow.
The Zimbabweans have since put the agonizing 5 run defeat in the first ODI behind them as they return to their favorite hunting ground, Harare Sports Club.
The venue itself should lift the home team, who prefer the bounce and carry off the Harare pitch to the slower surface at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Despite going down in the first ODI they were encouraging signs that came to the fore such as the competitive spirit of the Zimbabwean side and their ability to score over 240 runs in their pursuit of the target against a strong opposition.
They also impressed on the bowling front, restricting Pakistan to a reachable total .
Zimbabwe is likely go back to their three-pronged seam attack, bringing back Kyle Jarvis and Brian Vitori.
If they include a spinner in Ray Price, it will mean shortening their batting line-up.
Their other option is to use all-rounder Greg Lamb as the solitary spinner to bolster the batting line-up.
Pakistan will also be keen on pace, taking into account the Harare pitch, and would most likely retain a three-man seam attack.
Junaid Khan had a bad outing with the ball in Bulawayo, hence he might be replaced by Sohail Khan.
Aizaz Cheema on the other hand perfomed exceptionally well and should keep his place together with Sohail Tanvir .
Although the pitch at Harare Sports Club will not offer as much bounce and movement Zimbabwe captain Brenda Taylor may want, the game to be more for the bowlers than the one played in Bulawayo, which cancels out the role of the spinners slightly.
The pitch at Harare Sports Club is an all-round cricket surface easier to bat on and is expected to produce a high-scoring contest.
Zimbabwe gave Pakistan a tough competition in the 1st ODI played in Bulawayo on Thursday.
However the hosts will be eager to prove their performance against Bangladesh was not an isolated show when they come face to face with the Asians tomorrow.
The Zimbabweans have since put the agonizing 5 run defeat in the first ODI behind them as they return to their favorite hunting ground, Harare Sports Club.
The venue itself should lift the home team, who prefer the bounce and carry off the Harare pitch to the slower surface at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Despite going down in the first ODI they were encouraging signs that came to the fore such as the competitive spirit of the Zimbabwean side and their ability to score over 240 runs in their pursuit of the target against a strong opposition.
They also impressed on the bowling front, restricting Pakistan to a reachable total .
If they include a spinner in Ray Price, it will mean shortening their batting line-up.
Their other option is to use all-rounder Greg Lamb as the solitary spinner to bolster the batting line-up.
Pakistan will also be keen on pace, taking into account the Harare pitch, and would most likely retain a three-man seam attack.
Junaid Khan had a bad outing with the ball in Bulawayo, hence he might be replaced by Sohail Khan.
Aizaz Cheema on the other hand perfomed exceptionally well and should keep his place together with Sohail Tanvir .
Although the pitch at Harare Sports Club will not offer as much bounce and movement Zimbabwe captain Brenda Taylor may want, the game to be more for the bowlers than the one played in Bulawayo, which cancels out the role of the spinners slightly.
The pitch at Harare Sports Club is an all-round cricket surface easier to bat on and is expected to produce a high-scoring contest.
Source - zbc
