Can Pakistan Gift Waqar a Whitewash? (Preview)

It has been a nightmarish second half of summer for Zimbabwe. The home team started off the season quite well. A victory in solitary test match was followed by 3-2 ODI series win against Bangladesh. And, it looked Zimbabwe are set for greater things in world cricket. That wasn’t the case though. The mauling at Pakistan hands, that saw them lose one-off test, get whitewashed in ODI series and crushing in a lop-sided t-20 international, has just showed them they have a long way to go before competing with big boys of cricket.

Brendan Taylor led side is on brink of losing all matches it has played with Pakistan this summer. The tour concluding second and final t-20 international gives them the last opportunity to get off the mark.  To be honest, Zimbabwe win against ruthless Pakistan side seems to be remote possibility as now.  Going by the home team’s pathetic show in all three departments in the first t-20 makes Pakistan clear favourites to effect whitewash in this format as well.

The home team bowler’s were a letdown doling out far too many hittable short and wide deliveries. They bowled on Pakistan batsmen’s strengths and let them score freely. Fielding also was below far as four simple catches were dropped to go with countless fumbles in the deep. Having to chase a huge target of 199, Zimbabwe batsmen proved to be no match against wily Pakistan bowling attack and were handed a crushing and morale denting 85-run defeat.

For Zimbabwe to stage any fight back and perform nearly as Pakistan have done, they need to get their basics right. Far too many mistakes have been made in either department and desire to win a game had lacked among the players at times. Senior men like Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza and skipper Brendan Taylor himself to thwart Pakistan attack. Bowlers need to buck and cut down on silly mistakes of bowling short with their medium pace. Fielding has to improve if Taylor’s men want to compete at the top level.

It has been a productive tour for Pakistan side laced with some new faces. Not only Pakistan have maintained clean sheet thus far, they have found new faces indicating good bench strength. Mohammad Hafeez has been a revelation both with bat and ball. He has been the player of the summer hand s down. It was his whirlwind 72 followed by four wickets that played a major role in sinking Zimbabwe. Aizaz Cheema has also performed well and should be a certainty when Pakistan play Sri Lanka and England. What should impress Pakistan team management is the way their side has fielded on the tour. Surprisingly, some terrific catches have been taken and older guys in Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis have led the way.

The fixture marks the end of Waqar Younis’s one and half year tenure as a coach and his wards will be egged up to give him a winning send-off. And, in all likelihood, Waqar should feel the way his boys have performed on this tour, a winnings farewell is a possibility.

Zimbabwe Squad: Brendan Taylor (c), Brian Vitori, Chamu Chibhabha, Christopher Mpofu, Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza, Kyle Jarvis, Malcolm Waller, Prosper Utseya, Ray Price, Regis Chakabva, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Vusimuzi Sibanda, Charles Coventry, Cephas Zhuwao.

Pakistan Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Rameez Raja, Adnan Akmal (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Shoaib Malik.