to support umpire Shozab Raza’s decision.
The umpire would be involved in another dubious call, in the 35th over, with Chibhabha looking for a single to bring up a maiden century and then set up for the Powerplay. From round the wicket Malik pitched outside leg, with the ball turning further down, and with the limited technology available pictures weren’t clear with regards to any contact with the bat or glove. Chibhabha’s reaction, though, and the painstaking walk back suggested this should have been called a wide.
With Richmond Mutumbani scoring a Sibanda-esque 7 off 26, Zimbabwe were in real danger of being kept to a tame total. Except that Raza found good touch against the team from the country of his birth. He made room, peppered the cover boundary time and again, including scooping a near-yorker over short third man for four. Despite Raza’s hundred off 84 balls, Zimbabwe enjoyed little support from the other end, and took only 112 off the last 15 overs. It was an underwhelming effort by modern ODI standards, but it was just enough to keep Zimbabwe interested, especially given Pakistan’s unpredictable batting.
Score Board
Pakistan won toss
Zimbabwe
V Sibanda b Hafeez 13
C J Chibhabha c Sarfraz b Shoaib 99
*H Masakadza c Hafeez b Yasir 18
S C Williams c & b Yasir 5
S Raza not out 100
†R Mutumbami c Asad b Anwar 7
C K Coventry c Sarfraz b Wahab 10
A G Cremer c sub (Ahmed) b Wahab 2
T Panyangara not out 4
Extras (lb 5, w 4, nb 1) 10
Total (7 wickets; 50 overs) 268
To bat: T Mupariwa, B V Vitori
Fall: 1-83, 2-114, 3-122, 4-156, 5-209, 6-238, 7-258
Bowling: Sami 9-1-53-0 (2w); Anwar 9-0-55-1; Wahab 10-0-55-2 (1nb, 1w); Yasir 10-0-40-2; Hafeez 6-0-33-1 (1w); Hammad 3-0-14-0; Shoaib 3-0-13-1
Pakistan team
M Hafeez, *Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, †Sarfraz Ahmed, Hammad Azam, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Anwar Ali, M Sami
Umpires: Shozab Raza and R B Tiffin (Zimbabwe). TV umpire: Ahmed Shahab. Match referee: Azhar Khan