Pak vs Zim 1st ODI: Pakistan rout Zimbabwe as Shah takes six

Legspinner Yasir Shah returned career-best figures as Pakistan routed Zimbabwe by 131 runs in the first of three one-day internationals at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

Chasing a target of 260 after a century stand by Mohammad Rizwan and Imad Wasim had rescued the Pakistan innings, Zimbabwe were bowled out for just 128 with Shah recording figures of 6 for 26.

The hosts had gained the upper hand in the morning by winning the toss and reducing Pakistan to 128 for five, but Rizwan and Wasim added 124 for the sixth wicket.

Both batsmen ended up scoring at a run a ball on a dry surface, with Rizwan finishing unbeaten on 75 and Wasim run out for 61 in the final over of the innings.

Zimbabwe attempted to build their reply with a steady start, but Shah struck in his first and third overs before going on to run through the middle order.

Shoaib Malik also chipped in with three wickets as the Zimbabwean innings lasted just 37 overs.

Scoreboard:

Pakistan

Azhar Ali run out 11
Ahmed Shehzad c Chigumbura b Panyangara 12
Mohammad Hafeez c Masakadza b Jongwe 10
Sarfraz Ahmed c Williams b Cremer 44
Shoaib Malik b Nyumbu 31
Mohammad Rizwan not out 75
Imad Wasim run out 61
Aamer Yamin not out 1
Extras (2b, 5lb, 6w, 1nb) 14
Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 259
Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Azhar Ali), 2-24 (Ahmed Shehzad), 3-35 (Mohammad Hafeez), 4-100 (Shoaib Malik), 5-128 (Sarfraz Ahmed), 6-252 (Imad Wasim).
Did not bat: Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan.
Bowling: Panyangara 9-1-66-1, Jongwe 9-1-42-1, Chibhabha 8-1-25-0, Cremer 6-0-45-1, Williams 9-0-35-0, Nyumbu 9-0-39-1.

Zimbabwe

B. Chari b Yasir Shah 16
C. Chibhabha lbw b Imad Wasim 12
H. Masakadza b Yasir Shah 15
S. Williams b Shoaib Malik 26
Sikandar Raza c Shoaib Malik b Yasir Shah 19
E. Chigumbura c Mohammad Rizwan b Yasir Shah 22
R. Mutumbami c Mohammad Hafeez b Yasir Shah 3
L. Jongwe lbw b Shoaib Malik 0
G. Cremer lbw b Shoaib Malik 2
T. Panyangara c Imad Wasim b Yasir Shah 4
J. Nyumbu not out 2
Extras (1lb, 5w, 1nb) 7
Total (all out, 37 overs) 128
Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Chibhabha), 2-38 (Chari), 3-54 (Masakadza), 4-89 (Williams), 5-101 (Sikandar Raza), 6-107 (Mutumbami), 7-108 (Jongwe), 8-122 (Chigumbura), 9-122 (Cremer), 10-128 (Panyangara).
Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 4-2-7-0, Aamer Yamin 6-1-22-0, Imad Wasim 7-0-24-1, Yasir Shah 9-0-26-6, Wahab Riaz 4-0-18-0, Shoaib Malik 7-0-30-3.
Toss: Zimbabwe
Umpires: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM)
TV umpire: Langton Rusere (ZIM)
Match referee: David Jukes (ENG)
Result: Pakistan won by 131 runs
Series: Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0

Pakistan innings

A century stand between Mohammad Rizwan and Imad Wasim guided Pakistan from a tricky position to a challenging total in the first one-day international against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

The pair came together with Pakistan slipping at 128 for five after they had been inserted by the Zimbabweans, and each scored half-centuries to take the tourists to a final tally of 259 for six.

Both batsmen ended up scoring at a run a ball on a dry surface, with Rizwan finishing unbeaten on 75 and Wasim run out for 61 in the final over of the innings.

Although Zimbabwe started the day looking short on energy, they sparked to life in the sixth over when John Nyumbu made up for a dropped catch by running out Pakistan captain Azhar Ali with a direct hit.

From that point Pakistan slumped to 35 for three after 10 overs as seamers Tinashe Panyangara and Luke Jongwe were rewarded for their persistence with the wickets of Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez respectively.

Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik resurrected the innings as they added 65 for the fourth wicket, only to undo their good work by running down the pitch at Zimbabwe's spinners.

While Malik was bowled by a dipping Nyumbu delivery for 31, Ahmed hit a Graeme Cremer delivery straight to deep midwicket to depart for 44.

Fortunately for Pakistan they had two middle-order batsmen in good form, with Rizwan and Wasim fresh from good outings in the Twenty20 international series, which the tourists swept 2-0.

They seamlessly restored some stability to the Pakistan innings, before cashing in at the end as they reaped 78 runs from the last eight overs.

Scoreboard:

Pakistan

Azhar Ali run out 11
Ahmed Shehzad c Chigumbura b Panyangara 12
Mohammad Hafeez c Masakadza b Jongwe 10
Sarfraz Ahmed c Williams b Cremer 44
Shoaib Malik b Nyumbu 31
Mohammad Rizwan not out 75
Imad Wasim run out 61
Aamer Yamin not out 1
Extras (2b, 5lb, 6w, 1nb) 14
Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 259

Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Azhar Ali), 2-24 (Ahmed Shehzad), 3-35 (Mohammad Hafeez), 4-100 (Shoaib Malik), 5-128 (Sarfraz Ahmed), 6-252 (Imad Wasim).

Did not bat: Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan.
Bowling: Panyangara 9-1-66-1, Jongwe 9-1-42-1, Chibhabha 8-1-25-0, Cremer 6-0-45-1, Williams 9-0-35-0, Nyumbu 9-0-39-1.

Zimbabwe: Brian Chari, Chamu Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza Butt, Elton Chigumbura (capt), Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Luke Jongwe, John Nyumbu, Graeme Cremer, Tinashe Panyangara.

Toss: Zimbabwe
Umpires: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (SRI) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM)
TV umpire: Langton Rusere (ZIM)
Match referee: David Jukes (ENG)

Pakistan recovered from a poor start to make a challenging total of 259-6 against Zimbabwe thanks ot half centuries from Muhammad Rizwan and Imad Wasim.

Rizwan remained unbeaten on a belligerent 75 which contained four boundaries and two sixes.

Malik (31) shared in a stand of 65 with Sarfraz (44) after Pakistan had slumped to 35-3  before Wasim (61) figured in a 124-run partnership for the sixth.

Imad is run out in the final over after having figured in a 124-run stand for the sixth wicket. Pak 252-6, 49.4 overs.

Imad Wasim run out 61 (61b 5x4 0x6)

Imad completes a run-a-ball fifty with a reverse lap-sweep off Panyangara to the fence to bring up the century partnership. Pak 231-5, 48 overs.

Rizwan completes his half century off 61 balls hitting two boundaries and a six.

Sarfraz attempts to go for another big one only to hole out to midwicket. Pak 128-5, 31.1 overs.

Sarfraz Ahmed c Williams b Cremer 44 (59b 3x4 0x6)

Rizwan decides to step up the tempo dancing down the track to Nyumbu and clubbing him over long-on for a six. Pak 128-4, 31 overs.

Sarfraz slaps Nyumbu through point for a rare boundary. Pak 108-4, 27 overs.

Pakistan lose Malik as he tries to step on the medal at the halfway mark. Pak 100-4, 25 overs.

Off spinner Nyumbu has struck with his second delivery as Malik is beaten after giving him the charge and finding his middle stump shattered. Pak 100-4, 24.3 overs.

Shoaib Malik b Nyumbu 31 (49b 2x4 1x6)

Horrible start for Cremer as Malik becomes aggressive smashing a full toss for a boundary and blasting a straight six.

Three down as Hafeez departs playing an extravagant shot to be snapped up at cover point. Pak 35-3, 9.5 overs.

Mohammad Hafeez c Masakadza b Jongwe 10 (19b 2x4 0x6)

Hafeez gets into his stride driving Jongwe through the offside cordon for a boundary. Pak 30-2, 8 overs.

Pangyangara has the last laught as Shehzad perishes punching straight to mid-off.Pak 24-2, 6.5 overs.

Ahmed Shehzad c Chigumbura b Panyangara 12 (16b 2x4 0x6) 

Shehzad drives Panyangara for consecutive boundaries through the covers.

Ali cracks Jongwe over extra cover for another boundary but a mix-up with Shehzad results in his dismissal off a direct hit by Nyumbu from gully. Pak 16-1, 5.3 overs.

Azhar Ali run out 11 (22b 2x4 0x6)

Ali hits the first boundary of the match in the fifth over driving Panyangara through the offside. Pak 12-1, 5 overs.

DROPPED! Ali survives as Nyumbu spills a regulation chance off Jongwe at second slip. Pak 1-0, 2 overs.

Panyangara begins with a maiden to Azhar Ali.

Zimbabwe have won the toss and put Pakistan into bat in the first ODI at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

Aamer Yamin makes his debut for Pakistan.

Zimbabwe have handed a debut for Brian Chari dropping Prosper Utseya, while Craig Ervine is out with a hamstring injury.

Teams

Zimbabwe: BB Chari, CJ Chibhabha, H Masakadza, SC Williams, Sikandar Raza, E Chigumbura, R Mutumbami, LM Jongwe, J Nyumbu, CB Mpofu, T Panyangara

Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Aamer Yamin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan

Preview

Pakistan on Wednesday announced they would retain off-spinning allrounder Bilal Asif for the one-day series against Zimbabwe to assess his potential ahead of next month's series against England.

The 30-year-old was not played in the two Twenty20 match series which Pakistan won 2-0 in Harare on Tuesday. The three one-day internationals start from Thursday.

Chief selector Haroon Rasheed said Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq wanted to see Asif in action ahead of the three-Test series against England in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"The request to retain Asif had been made by the team management and in a separate discussion with Misbah, we decided to assess Asif as another spinning option against England," Rasheed was quoted as saying in a Pakistan Cricket Board release.

"Misbah believes that since the England team contains five left-handed batsmen and because of (Mohammad) Hafeez's inability to bowl at international level, we were left with no off-spin bowling options in the Test squad," he added.

Pakistan already have leg-spinner Yasir Shah and left-armer Zulfiqar Babar in their 15-man squad for England Tests which begin in Abu Dhabi on October 13.

A spin-heavy Pakistan attack was inevitable after their 3-0 rout of England, then ranked number one, the last time the two sides met in the UAE three years ago.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took 24 wickets while left-armer Abdur Rehman nabbed 19 wickets.

Ajmal was not selected for the upcoming series as he continues to struggle with a remodelled bowling action he was forced to devise after being suspended for chucking last year.

"Misbah suggested that since Asif is presently the standout available option in the domestic circuit and should be assessed in case we intend to add him as the 16th member in the Test squad against England."

The other two Tests will be played in Dubai (October 22-26) and Sharjah (November 1-5), followed by four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.

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