Hafeez will lead Pakistan’s Twenty20 squad against the hosts today, hoping to reciprocate the record of their 2011 tour in Zimbabwe, where they won all matches played. PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan go into today’s first Twenty20 international against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club hoping to fight complacency and give a strong performance, according to coach Dav Whatmore.
The month-long tour will see the two sides face off in two Twenty20 matches, three One-Day Internationals (ODI) and two Tests.
Pakistan have won every match on their last tour of Zimbabwe in 2011, and will expect to complete a similar sweep over a side that recently lost all five ODIs against an understrength Indian team.
“We don’t want to be complacent in any way, including our preparation,” said Whatmore.
“We may be playing Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe, but these are still very important matches for Pakistan.”
Mohammad Hafeez will lead Pakistan in the Twenty20 matches today and tomorrow, but the tourists will be without wicket-keeper-batsman Umar Akmal after he suffered a mild seizure last weekend during a flight to Jamaica, where he was due to play a match in the Caribbean Premier League.
His replacement in the squad, Sarfraz Ahmed, is expected to take the gloves.
Zimbabwe move on from crisis to cricket
On the other hand, Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor is confident that the players have put their most recent scuffle with the board behind them and are ready to concentrate on the sport.
Zimbabwe’s preparations were thrown into disarray last week when the players refused to train after negotiations over unpaid salaries and future contracts broke down.
And although the players came to an agreement with Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) last Friday and returned to training, fast-bowler Kyle Jarvis announced on Sunday that he was quitting international cricket in favour of a county contract.
Nevertheless Taylor expects his side to move on mentally as they look to present a challenge to Pakistan.
“I think we’ve all been around long enough to put that aside now,” said Taylor. “ZC have met us in the middle and there’s nothing more to harp on about it.
“We’ve discussed this as players and it’s time to move forward and try and represent our country as well as we can.”
Taylor admitted that Jarvis’ decision had come as a surprise to his teammates and hoped that the 24-year-old would return to play for Zimbabwe in the future.
“I just felt he was a little bit premature to leave Zimbabwe cricket, but he’s old enough to make his own decisions and see what’s right for him.
“I would like to have seen him develop more as a Test bowler and then filter that down into the one-dayers and Twenty20s.
“Not to be, but in three years’ time he’ll only be 27 — there will always be an open door for him and hopefully he can come back with the added experience and carry on his international career.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.
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