PCB releases Zimbabwe T20, Test series schedule

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released the schedule of the Pakistan tour of Zimbabwe during which the Green Shirts will play three T20 and two Test matches.

Pakistan will become the first men’s international cricket side to play in Zimbabwe in the post-Covid-19 era.According to a PCB statement, the Pakistan side will arrive in Harare from Johannesburg on 17 April, where the five matches will take place from 21 April to 11 May with the T20Is to start at 2pm and the two Tests will commence at 12:30pm.

After the T20Is on 21, 23 and 25 April, Babar Azam’s side will play Zimbabwe in two Tests, the first of which will begin on 29 April.This will mark the first instance of the two sides facing off in the pinnacle format of the game since September 2013. This was also Pakistan’s last Test on Zimbabwean soil.

The second Test will commence on 7 May.Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Pakistani team has toured England and New Zealand, besides hosting Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Pakistan Shaheens also toured New Zealand alongside the men’s side, while the women’s sides visited South Africa and Zimbabwe, the tour that was curtailed due to suspension in flight operations.

Next month, the Pakistan U19 squad will tour Bangladesh for a four-day and five 50-over-side matches.PCB’s Director International Cricket, Zakir Khan, said the PCB has always maintained that cricket and Covid-19 can co-exist in a safe and secure environment, and the cricket board continues to demonstrate this to ensure the game develops and flourishes in these difficult and challenging times.

“The tour of our men’s side at the back of our women’s team first-ever visit of Zimbabwe is a testimony that the two boards – the PCB and Zimbabwe Cricket – enjoy excellent relations and are always ready to lend support to each other.

Pakistan men’s national cricket team for the Zimbabwe tour:

T20I: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir.

Test: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel ( subject to fitness), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tabish Khan and Zahid Mahmood.

Players Support Personnel - Mansoor Rana (Manager), Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Col (retd) Khalid Mahmood (security manager), Malang Ali (masseur), Raza Kitchlew (Digital and media manager), Dr Riaz Ahmed (team doctor), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Waqar Younis (bowling coach), Yasir Malik (strength & conditioning coach) and Younis Khan (batting coach).

Schedule, venue and timings of T20 matches. Matches to start at 1400 PST: 21 April – 1st T20I at Harare Sports Club; 23 April – 2nd T20I at Harare Sports Club; 25 April – 3rd T20I at Harare Sports Club.

Schedule, venue and timings of Test matches. Matches to begin at 1230 PST: 29 April to 3 May – 1st Test at Harare Sports Club; 7 to 11 May – 2nd Test at Harare Sports Club.