Zimbabwe is set to host Pakistan for a three-match ODI series which starts on Sunday. Each of the games will be played in Bulawayo with the second and third matches to be played on Tuesday and Thursday respectively. This will be followed by a series of three T20I games which will be played at the same venue on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th of December.
Mohammad Rizwan and his team are coming into the series after beating Australia in the ODI series. This was the first win for the men in green in Australia for 22 years. This was followed by the dampener of losing the T20I series with a 3-0 margin. Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah haven’t been considered for the tour.
Craig Ervine is set to lead the side which has a good blend of youth and experience in the side. The series comes as a chance for some of the young players to prove their worth while the experienced members will want to use this as a chance to put breaks on Pakistan’s current resurgence. This year Zimbabwe has played 3 games losing two and one game being rained out. So far both sides have played each other 62 times with Pakistan winning 54, and Zimbabwe winning 5 times, with 1 tied game and 2 games yielding no result.
Here are the top 3 players to watch out for Zimbabwe ahead of the first ODI vs Pakistan
3- Sean Williams
38-year-old all-rounder Sean Williams is one of the most experienced members of the Zimbabwean side. Williams has played 156 ODI games and scored 4986 runs and needs just 14 more runs to reach the 5000-run mark. This will make Williams the 6th Zimbabwean to achieve the feat in ODI cricket. The left-handed batter has hit 8 centuries and 35 fifties with a best of 174 and an average of 38. Sean Williams is also a very good spinner with 83 wickets in ODI cricket with a best of 4/43.
2- Sikandar Raza
Pakistan-born Sikandar Raza has been at the forefront of putting Zimbabwean cricket on the map. The 38-year-old has played 142 games and scored 4154 runs with 7 centuries and 21 fifties with an average of 36 so far. Raza is also a match-winner with the bat as he can outfox the best of batters and this is evident with his 88 wickets with the ball. Sikandar Raza also adds value with his amazing fielding and can bowl and field well in the death overs.
1- Craig Ervine
39-year-old Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine will be the biggest player to watch out for during the first ODI against Pakistan. The veteran star has played 119 ODI matches and scored 3376 runs with four centuries and 20 fifties. The left-handed batter has an average of 33 and can play the perfect sheet anchor role when needed. Craig Ervine has always been called the Mr. Dependable of Zimbabwe cricket and the series against Pakistan will be a great chance to show why he is being given the tag.