Cricket: Pakistan whitewash Zimbabwe

Younus, Cheema propel tourists to 28-run win in third and final ODI.

HARARE:

Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 28 runs at the Harare Sports Club in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) to clinch the series 3-0.

The tourists, who managed 270 for five, survived a 110-run opening partnership between Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha to restrict Zimbabwe to 242 for nine. Aizaz Cheema, who has been the find of the series for Pakistan, finished with four for 43 and was named man of the match. Debutant leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed two wickets as Zimbabwe’s innings derailed after the separation of the openers.

Sibanda made 59 and Chibhabha hit 62 but Cheema and company ensured the hosts never built the momentum needed to overhaul Pakistan’s competitive total.

Batsmen set up win

However, the win was set up by the batsmen with former captain Younus Khan making 81 off just 90 deliveries, his second half-century of the series. Younus, surprisingly named the man of the series for his 159 runs in two innings, put on 97 for the third wicket with Asad Shafiq – who was playing his first match of the tour – after the openers had given the team a reasonable start.

Shafiq, who replaced Umar Akmal in the playing-eleven, responded with a knock of 51 — his fifth half-century.

However, the innings met with a disappointing finish with Pakistan failing to launch a final-overs onslaught with captain Misbahul Haq managing 29 off 28 and Adnan Akmal making 24 off 33 deliveries.

Misbah ecstatic

The Pakistan skipper was nonetheless pleased with the performance of the team after the tourists also clinched the one-off Test against Zimbabwe.

“It was good to see the new boys performing,” said Misbah as he praised the performance of Cheema and Shah. “The main idea was to give chance to the youngsters and win the series.

“We were around 25 to 30 runs short but they bowled well in the last few overs,” added the captain while hinting at a few changes for the upcoming Twenty20s.

Meanwhile, Younus admitted Zimbabwe had been a tough opposition to beat. “We had a tough series and I believe that Zimbabwe will have a good team in the future.

“Before the series, the seniors sat together and hoped to deliver and show the way for the youngsters and I’m happy we could do that.”

Cheema, 32, who made his international debut in the one-off Test earlier and has been tipped as a success story already, was happy with his performance which saw him be the leading wicket-taker of the series.

“All the hard work I’ve done in the last 10 years has borne fruit. The coach, captain and team have stood by me and I’m thankful. I just tried to hit the right lengths and it worked.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th,  2011.