Bulawayo: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the playing XI for the second T20I against Zimbabwe, scheduled for December 3 at Queens Sports Club.
The playing XI for the second T20I clash remains unchanged from the series opener on December 1, with the same team continuing its quest for dominance in Zimbabwe.
In the first T20I, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a total of 165 runs after losing four wickets. Despite a shaky start where they lost Omair Bin Yousuf early for 16 runs in the third over, Pakistan’s middle order steadied the ship.
Saim Ayub (24) and Usman Khan (39) made brief contributions while captain Salman Ali Agha struggled, managing just 13 runs off 19 balls before falling to Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza.
Tayyab Tahir played a crucial role in stabilizing the innings, scoring an unbeaten 39 off 25 balls, while Irfan Khan’s quickfire 27* off 15 balls ensured Pakistan a competitive total.
In response, Zimbabwe’s batting failed under pressure. Despite solid knocks from captain Sikandar Raza (39) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (33), the hosts were bowled out for just 108 runs in 15.4 overs.
Pakistan’s bowlers were in fine form, with spin duo Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem claiming three wickets each.
Haris Rauf also added two wickets to his tally and Jahandad Khan scored one. The hosts’ resistance crumbled and Pakistan won the match by 57 runs.
Before the start of the 20-match series, the Men in Green were dominant, securing a 2-1 victory in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.
Despite losing the rain-affected first ODI by 80 runs through the DLS method, the Rizwan-led Pakistan team bounced back strongly, winning the second and third matches to clinch the series.
This victory also marked Mohammad Rizwan’s second victory as captain after his successful leadership in the historic ODI series against Australia where Pakistan won the series 2-1 in Australia for the first time in 22 years.
