By News Desk
ISLAMABAD: A 32-member Zimbabwe cricket squad arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday to play two limited-overs series against Pakistan after five years.
Zimbabwe players will undergo a seven-day isolation period, starting today (Wednesday) before they commence training at the Pindi Cricket Stadium from October 28. They will play three ODIs and as many T20Is against Pakistan.
The ODI series is scheduled for October 30, November 1 and 3. Then the two teams will travel to Lahore for the T20 series — set for November 7, 8 and 10.
Aleem Dar has been assigned on-field duties in five of the six matches. Dar, the three-time ICC Umpire of the Year from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will stand in all the three ODIs as well as the first and third T20I, while he will be the third umpire for the second T20I.
The ICC has appointed Prof Javed Malik, member of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees, as match referee for the series.
The PCB appointed the umpires from the ICC International Panel of Match Officials, namely Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob, Rashid Riaz and Shozab Raza. When Ahsan Raza officiates the second T20I, he will become the first umpire to complete a half-century of T20Is.
ICC’s interim playing regulations, which are applicable to the upcoming series: Ban on applying saliva to the ball: Players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball.
If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning.
A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side. Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommences.
The series is crucial for Pakistan as it will be launching its bid to qualify directly for the World Cup 2023 by taking on Zimbabwe in the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches.
The ICC has introduced the Super League to provide context to ODI cricket and will serve as a qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with the hosts and other top seven sides automatically booking their spots for the India event.
Featuring 13 teams, the 12 Test-playing countries and the Netherlands, the Super League will see each side play four home and four away three-match series. The three ODIs were originally scheduled for Multan, but have been moved to Rawalpindi due to logistical and operational challenges.
The change in the ODI venue also changed the venue for the three Twenty20 Internationals as initially these were planned to take place in Rawalpindi. Zimbabwe last toured Pakistan in 2015 for three ODIs and two T20Is.
However, they now return after international cricket has resumed in Pakistan with full force following successful tours of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the 2019-20 season.
In addition to this, HBL Pakistan Super League, for the first time in its young history, was staged in Pakistan until the last four matches were postponed on March 17 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These matches of the fifth edition will be staged in Lahore on 14, 15 and 17 November.