Pakistan eye clean sweep of T20 series

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan will be looking for a clean sweep in the T20 series unlike the One-Day Internationals against Zimbabwe while the visitors will be aiming to be competitive at least in the last match of the tour on Tuesday (today) here at the Pindi Stadium.

So far it has been a tough series for Zimbabwe because of Pakistan’s quality bowling attack. The tourists have not been able to shine with the bat as whatever totals they mustered in the two T20s were not enough to test Pakistan’s batting.

“Batting has been our problem, especially in the T20 series. We have not succeeded in raising a good total to challenge Pakistan,” Zimbabwe captain Chamu Chibhabha said following his team’s loss in the second T20 — their 13th straight loss against the Greenshirts.

Chibhabha hinted at fielding some reserves in the final game. “Like Wessley we have a couple of more talented players in the squad and I think the time has come to test them,” he said. Both teams rested on Monday following back-to-back T20s.

In the T20 series, Pakistan have been served well by newcomers such as Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Haider Ali and Usman Qadir. “I have really enjoyed bowling against Zimbabwe, especially in the second T20 where I got three wickets. I enjoyed Sikandar Raza’s wicket when he misread my wrong one,” Usman said.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was happy to see youngsters performing to the best of their abilities. In a media talk, he said he was happy to see youngsters getting confidence with each passing day. “We want our youngsters to gain experience in the company of seasoned players. I am happy that they are delivering and it means they are ready for future series. It is a good sign for Pakistan as the T20 World Cup is also coming closer,” Babar said.

Regarding changes for the last T20, he said the management was considering all options, however, it would not be appropriate to make major changes at this stage. “We need to back the youngsters because their continuous efforts will help them gain confidence,” Babar said.

Chances are that Abdullah Shafiq, who scored a hundred in the National T20 Cup, may make his international debut. The weather on Tuesday is likely to be hazy and cloudy with remote chances of rain. The pitch again looks perfect for batting.