Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan for cricket series in October-November 2020

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Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan for cricket series in October-November, says PCB

The 50-over matches against Zimbabwe will be played in Multan on 30 October, 1 and 3 November, which will be followed by three T20Is in Rawalpindi on 7, 8 and 10 November, says the PCB. Photo: AFP

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday confirmed that a three-match One Day International (ODI) series between the green shirts and Zimbabwe will take place in Pakistan in October, followed by a T20 series in November.

"Pakistan will launch its ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League campaign by hosting Zimbabwe for a three-match ODI series in October-November, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Wednesday.

"The 50-over matches against Zimbabwe will be played in Multan on 30 October, 1 and 3 November, which will be followed by three T20Is in Rawalpindi on 7, 8 and 10 November," read a press release by the cricket board.

The PCB announced that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that the Super League will serve as a qualification for the Men's Cricket World Cup, with the top seven sides already qualifying for the mega event.
PCB Director Cricket International Zakir Khan said that the confirmation of the series "not only strengthens Pakistan’s reputation as a safe and secure country but also a healthy one after having successfully overcome the Covid-19 pandemic".

"This series is critical to Pakistan as it aspires to qualify directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and, as such, every point in the Super League will count. Our last ODI series was against Sri Lanka, 12 months ago, so the boys will have to hit the ground running and try to pocket maximum points.

"We have strategically scheduled Zimbabwe’s matches in Multan and Rawalpindi, the venues which will be hosting the National T20 Cup from 30 September to 18 October. By the time Zimbabwe arrives, we would have gained enough experience on bio-securing hotels, player transportation, the venues and the players’ dressing rooms as delivery of this series will be under strict Covid-19 protocols to ensure the health and safety of all participants," he said.

Zimbabwe will carry a 32-member squad to cater for both the formats as well as for the intra-squad warm-up matches. The squad will undergo two Covid-19 tests within a space of 48 hours prior to their departure in Harare, while the second tests will be conducted as soon as they arrive in Islamabad, said the PCB.



SCHEDULE

20 Oct – Zimbabwe arrival in Islamabad
30 Oct – 1st ODI, Multan
1 Nov – 2nd ODI, Multan
3 Nov – 3rd ODI, Multan
4 Nov – Travel to Islamabad
7 Nov – 1st T20I, Rawalpindi
8 Nov – 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi
10 Nov – 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi
11 Nov – Zimbabwe departure for Harare

 

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Zimbabwe tour schedule revised

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a revised schedule of Zimbabwe cricket team’s tour on the eve of a visit by their five-member delegation to Lahore.

The delegation of Zimbabwe comprising medical and security officials reached Lahore on Sunday to reviews the bio-secure facility and security arrangements for the Pakistan-Zimbabwe series. The participants of the delegation, who arrived in Lahore, underwent COVID 19 test at Lahore Airport, after which the delegation was shifted to a hotel.

The members of the delegation will stay at the hotel till their test reports.

The delegation will leave for Rawalpindi after completing its visit to Lahore.

Pakistan will launch its bid to qualify directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 by taking on Zimbabwe in the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches in Rawalpindi: on October 30 and November 1 and 3, the PCB said.

The ICC has introduced the Super League to provide context to ODI cricket. It 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 venue also means Lahore will now stage the three Twenty20 Internationals on November 7, 8 and 10. These matches were initially planned to take place in Rawalpindi.

Explaining the changes, PCB Director International Cricket Zakir Khan said: “After Multan became unavailable due to logistical and operational reasons, we took the opportunity to revisit the entire schedule and have come up with an itinerary that is suitable for the teams, match officials, broadcasters, event staff and other support agencies.


“In the meantime, we are also in regular touch with the Metrological department and seeking their forecast for smog during November. We will continue to liaise with the Met Office and monitor the situation, and, if required, will make necessary changes.

“The availability of Rawalpindi has ensured there is no uncertainty for our ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

Super League matches as we aim to collect maximum points from this series to achieve our target of qualifying directly for the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over event.”

Zimbabwe last visited Pakistan in 2015 for three ODIs and two T20Is.


Revised schedule:


20 Oct – Zimbabwe arrival in Islamabad
21-27 Oct – Isolation period & practice
28-29 Oct – Practice at Pindi Cricket Stadium
30 Oct – 1st ODI, Pindi Cricket Stadium
1 Nov – 2nd ODI, Pindi Cricket Stadium
3 Nov – 3rd ODI Pindi Cricket Stadium
4 Nov – Travel to Lahore
5-6 Nov – Practice at Gaddafi Stadium
7 Nov – 1st T20I Gaddafi Stadium
8 Nov – 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium
10 Nov – 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium
12 Nov – Zimbabwe departure for Harare.