Zimbabwe vs Pakistan – 2nd T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Zimbabwe vs Pakistan taking place? Friday, April 23rd, 2021 – 10:00 (UK)
Where is Zimbabwe vs Pakistan taking place? Harare Sports Club
What is the expected weather for Zimbabwe vs Pakistan? 26c with sunshine and cloudy intervals forecast
What channel is Zimbabwe vs Pakistan on? The match will be televised live on FreeSports
Where can I stream Zimbabwe vs Pakistan? The match can be streamed live on the SkyGo app
LAST MEETING
Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 11 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
ZIMBABWE
- Zimbabwe suffered a narrow loss in the first T20 match of this series but they will feel like they let a golden opportunity slip as they looked comfortably at 77/2 in the 11th over chasing 150 but they managed to throw away an excellent position to lose by 11 runs.
- They will however take good confidence from that game and due to the fact that they largely threw it away rather than being outclassed by their opponents so they will hope to compete and push the tourists all the way once again here.
- They have good and bad team news as Brendan Taylor is available after missing the first game due to a stomach bug but Craig Ervine misses out with a calf problem so they offset each other in what is expected to be the only change to the eleven.
PAKISTAN
- Pakistan were slightly under-strength in the first T20 match on Wednesday and it almost cost them as they were up against it for a period of time after only managing to register 149 when batting first.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hassan Ali were both rested for the opening game but the pace duo are both expected to come back into the side which will add a different dynamic to their bowling attack.
- The batting was hugely disappointing in that game and would have been disastrous had it not been for Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten 82 from 61 balls as no other batsman surpassed 15 but they will likely keep faith with the line-up for one more game.
THE PREDICTION
The first game between Zimbabwe and Pakistan was too close for comfort for the heavy favourites but Pakistan will surely have learned their lesson after their scare. They are expected to bring back some key men to their bowling attack and their batting will surely be much more prepared for this second T20. While Zimbabwe looked much better than in their recent series against Afghanistan, they still looked fragile when things went against them as their batting order capitulated from a great position. With Pakistan’s bowling strengthened and a game under their belts to acclimatise to the conditions in Harare, the visitors have to be favoured once again and this time, by a much greater margin.
