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Tour dates for Zim-Pakistan series finalised

Sport
THE Pakistan national cricket team is expected in Harare on September 24 ahead of their reciprocal tour of Zimbabwe which includes three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Twenty20 Internationals.

THE Pakistan national cricket team is expected in Harare on September 24 ahead of their reciprocal tour of Zimbabwe which includes three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and two Twenty20 Internationals.

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

According to the schedule which was agreed by Zimbabwe Cricket and the Pakistan Cricket Board, all matches will be played at Harare Sports Club, starting with the first T20 on September 27.

The second T20 takes place on September 29 while the three ODIs have been slated for October 1, 3 and 5 respectively.

Originally, Zimbabwe had planned to host both Pakistan and West Indies in a triangular series from August 17. However, Pakistan were desperate for the ODI series to start only after the September 30 deadline, set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Interestingly Pakistan’s decision to cancel the tri-series came after they won the ODI series in Sri Lanka and climbed up to eighth position in the ICC rankings, just above the West Indies, who are now placed ninth in the table.

The West Indies have no international matches scheduled before the September 30th deadline.

Zimbabwe and Pakistan agreed on a bilateral tour after national cricket team’s tour of the subcontinent nation for three ODIs and two T-20s against in Lahore with the latter promising to reciprocate.

Before Zimbabwe’s historic visit, Pakistan had not hosted any Test-playing nation since the gun attack on the Sri Lanka national team in 2009.

Meanwhile Zimbabwe, who have already hosted India and New Zealand in limited overs matches since June are also scheduled to host Ireland and Afghanistan later this year.

The Dave Whatmore-coached side will also visit Dubai to play Afghanistan at the end of the year before touring Bangladesh early next year for three Tests, three ODIs and three T20s in January.

Tour dates September 24: Pakistan team arrive September 27: 1st T20, Harare Sports Club September 29: 2nd T20, Harare Sports Club October 1: 1st ODI, Harare Sports Club October 3: 2nd ODI, Harare Sports Club October 5: 3rd ODI, Harare Sports Club October 6: Pakistan depart Zimbabwe