Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Live Score T20 World Cup: Babar Azam and Co eye first points of campaign

Preview: Pakistan will hope to bounce back from their narrow defeat to India in their opening game in Melbourne when they take on Zimbabwe in their second outing of the T20 World Cup in Perth on Thursday.

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Pakistan had recovered from a shaky start after being invited to bat by India and managed to post a competitive 159 on the board thanks to fifties from Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed, before their pace attack ran through the Indian top-order yet again, reducing them to 31/4 in the chase.

The Men in Green were clear favourites to collect a second T20 World Cup win against their arch-rivals, only to be undone by Virat Kohli’s brilliance as the star Indian batter produced an unbeaten 82, forging a 113-run fifth-wicket stand with Hardik Pandya and in the end, guiding his team over the line.

Skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s white-ball opening pair, will hope to bounce back to form against the Zimbabweans after getting dismissed cheaply by Arshdeep Singh on Sunday.

As for the bowling department, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s figures of 0/34 against India prompted discussions on whether he was rushed back into the squad and whether he is bowling at a hundred per cent at the moment, and the team think-tank might just consider resting him and bringing someone like a Mohammad Wasim Jr or a Mohammad Hasnain into the XI.

Zimbabwe progressed from the First Round of the ongoing competition with victories over Ireland and Scotland, their only defeat coming against the already-eliminated West Indies. The Craig Ervine-led side then started off on a shaky note against neighbours South Africa in their opening Super 12 game, the Proteas racing to 51/0 in three overs chasing 64 in a curtailed game before a heavy shower forced the game to be called off and the points to be split evenly.

Squads:

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Khushdil Shah, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

Zimbabwe: Regis Chakabva(w), Craig Ervine(c), Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Wesley Madhevere, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Tony Munyonga, Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Clive Madande, Richard Ngarava.

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